Time Circle
by shadowwriter01
Summary: A few years after the return of Optimus Prime, a mysterious object appears. Several Tranformers are scattered across time and space, spanning from the beginnings of the Great War to the future. Main characters: Hotrod, Optimus Prime, Galvatron, Cyclonus, Ultra Magnus, Starscream and others.
1. Prologue: Cure

Transformers: Time Circle

This fanfic is based on the g1 Cartoon and the Transformers Marvel comics. It will play in the Cartoon continuity. The fanfic will follow the seasons 1-3 of the cartoon show but ignore rebirth. My biggest problem with the three partner? Why in the world are the Decepticons trying to blow Cybertron up after they conquered it? Galvatron don´t longer seems insane, he was even rational enough to negotiate with Zarak as he had to. And even if he would have been, why is everybody getting along with the plan? This don´t seem to be insanity but simply bad writing. So I ignore that episode.

The Transformers are property of hasbro.

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

_In the year 2005 many Autobots, one of them their leader Optimus Prime, died in the battle for autobot-city. Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons, was badly wounded in the fight against Optimus and how so often before, betrayed by his second in command Starscream who threw him damaged into space to die. A short time later, Unicron appeared, a monstrous being with unknown heritage and hostile intentions. Unicron rebuilt Megatron and his troops, who were abandoned along with him and gave them new lives. But he also enslaved them and used them to his own agenda. Unicrons finale attack nearly caused the destruction of Cybertron and shattered the Decepticons on the Planet. The Autobot Hotrod was able to use the mysterious Matrix of leadership to destroy Unicron. As a result of the battle, the Decepticons lost Cybertron and the Autobots used the Chance to take over the planet. Galvatron was missing in space again. Both sides of the war were decimated but the Autobots used their chance to rebuild. For the Decepticons the loss of Cybertron caused a chain reaction, that made them temporally loose the entire war. Their best troops were scattered in space after the hasty retreat. Without their leader and Cybertron as center, the remaining strongholds were disorganized and could easily be conquered by the Autobots. _

_But one year later a alien race named the Quintessons provided the Decepticons with new energon and allied themselves with them for a attack on Cybertron. Galvatron´s new Second in Command Cyclonus had, even earlier organized an rescue mission and found the Decepticon leader. But Galvatron was driven insane through Unicron´s manipulations and because he had fallen in a sea of molten plasma after the last battle. Despite that the Decepticons and their allies were able to destroy the defence system of the Autobots on Cybertron and the ark, one of their main bases on earth. But the Quintessons betrayed the Decepticons and tried to destroy all Transformers. The war was continuing for another year. Now with two fronts. Galvatrons insanity decreased over time, but was still there for the most of the year. In another attempt, the Quintessons were rebuilding Optimus, originally as a mindless zombie, to let the Autobots into a trap. But his personality re-emerged and he and Rodimus were able to save the Autobots. A short time later a terrible plaque appeared, that drove it´s victims insane and spread over the entire galaxy. To stop this thread the Quintessons were finally forced to restore Optimus Prime completely. He was able to wipe the so called "Hate Plaque" out, by opening the Matrix a second time. It´s knowledge and power however was seemingly lost in the process. _

_It was the December of the year 2006_.

xxxxxxx

Galvatron walked to the Autobots Optimus, Hotrod and Kup. It was true, he and the Autobots had teamed up earlier to stop the Hate Plaque. But they didn´t know how he would react now.

They had been working together out of common interests, like their two sides did often before. This alliances however ended in princip very quickly when the problem was solved. In this case however Galvatron surprised them.

"There will be no war today Optimus Prime, you have earned Galvatron´s respect", the Decepticon declared. He offered his hand and Optimus took it. A temporally ceasefire, that was it what Galvatron was offering them.

The Autobots didn´t have peace, like they always wanted, but at least a truce. Galvatron then flew off into the sky, followed by Cyclonus and the Sweeps, who transformed into their jet modes and the Predacons.

After the Decepticons had left, Optimus gave the well known command.

"Transform and roll out."

xxx

They drove back to Autobot-City. As their convoy came close to the city they saw Ultra Magnus approaching them, behind him some of the other robots stationed in the city. The Autobot second in command transformed into robot mode and made a disbelieving face.

"Optimus?" He managed to bring out. "Is that really you? Are you really back this time? Magnus looked in Hotrod´s and Kup´s direction.

"It´s him Magnus", Hotrod declared happily. "It is no trick this time."

Magnus looked now back at Optimus, who said in a somewhat shy tone.

"Yes. Yes I guess this time I am truly back for good. It is good to see you old friend."

The last time Optimus was back from the dead, it turned out that he was a zombie, programmed by the Quintessons. So it was no wonder a few people, even Optimus himself sometimes, were a bit insecure. Now Ultra Magnus pulled his friend and leader into an embrace. It was a really strange sight, the two giant fighting machines hugging each other in a friendly manner. Optimus saw his old lieutenant Jazz and the human Spike, who came as his driver. Jazz welcomed him in nearly the same way as Magnus.

"Jazz, I am happy that you are here", Optimus greeted him.

"Spike." He nodded to the human.

"Optimus I´m glad that you are back. I only wish it was under better circumstances." Spike looked behind himself at the mostly destroyed Autobot-city. Insane Transformers have been marauding there for days.

"It was our luck that you were able to short-circuit Metroplex before he began to ran amok too, Rodimus. You did a good job", Ultra Magnus said, looking at Hotrod.

"Thank you. But I have really enough of being leader. At least commander of all Autobots. We have the right bot for this anyway." That sentence from Hotrod was met with applause from everybody around.

"We will repair autobot-city, as we will repair everything on earth and Cybertron", Optimus announced." This statement caused even more applause.

xxxxxxxx

The Decepticons arrived back on chaar. Galvatron looked at his assembled troops. He told the Constructicons to check the damage to their base. Then he addressed his second in Command.

"Cyclonus, tell Soundwave to contact every Decepticon who is not on Chaar right now and send someone to bring them back."

"Yes Galvatron", Cyclonus replied. Then he asked their communication expert.

"Soundwave are you able to make contact with everybody who is not here right now?"

"Yes Cyclonus. All units are responding", the communication-officer answered.

"Ask them if all of them are still operational."

"Causalities none, irreparable damage none, light middle and two cases of heavy damage." Cyclonus nodded.

"Good, take Astrotrain and all operational shuttles and go to retrieve them", he ordered.

xxx

Cyclonus was entering the throne room along with Galvatron. The faithful Decepticon looked at his leader, the being he had followed this being loyal for two lives.

When Galvatron was insane, Cyclonus had sometimes refused orders, disagreed with his leader in front of the troops, even tricked him into going to a planet that was actually a mental asylum to cure his madness. It later turned out to be a trap and probably Cyclonus greatest mistake. But despite that he always acted in Galvatron´s best interest.

Except in the last days, as the plaque had him. He wasn´t himself. Not responsible for his actions. Just like Galvatron hadn´t been all this times, he realized. He didn´t know what to say.

"Mighty Galvatron, I…", he tried to say something.

"Cyclonus can you feel it?" This question surprised Cyclonus. Then he started to check his systems. It was gone, he realized.

"Yes Galvatron, I do." As they were rebuild by Unicron two years ago, he placed various programs into them, that had the purpose to manipulate and rearrange their personalities. A certain change of personality was normal for a transformer with a new body. New circuity, a new appearance an skills, this leads to different thinking and behavior. This programs on the other hand had the sole sense to bend their minds over time to Unicron´s will, to make them his puppets. It was more than simply software. They were a extension of Unicron. Small, microscopic pieces of his mind, that were trying to take them over. The corrupting programs were deactivated, when Unicron´s body exploded. But they were still there, lying dormant in them. Until now. They were gone, erased.

"Unicron´s manipulations are gone", Galvatron declared. "The last bits of the madness that plagued me for so long are also gone." Cyclonus was surprised, normally nobody even talked about the insanity in Galvatron´s presence.

"The Matrix has cured me. I am, we are…", Galvatron corrected himself, "… finally completely free of Unicron." He smiled. For the first time for long, Galvatron was truly happy.

"Who had thought, that the Matrix and the Autobots will be the cause of this?"

"In some sense they have saved us", Cyclonus agreed, "from Unicron and the Hate Plaque. Even if they did it to save everyone else to. What do you plan now? Are you going to hold the ceasefire with the Autobots for a longer time, giving us and them the chance to rebuild?" That was a reasonable idea and Cyclonus was someone who lived by his personal honor code. In his eyes the Autobots should have the chance to recover from the damage, the plaque had caused. And it would give the Decepticons the same chance too. Galvatron´s insanity had been decreased drastically in the last months an now it seemed to be completely gone. It felt good to have a reasonable leader again. Galvatron´s true self, so knew Cyclonus, was very close to his own way of thinking.

"Yes Cyclonus, I will keep a truce with the Autobots for some time. And I have my own plans that will come to fruit."


	2. The pyramid

Transformers: Time Circle

**Chapter 2**

_Five years have passed since the end of the hate plaque and the truce between the Autobots and the Decepticons. The Decepticons had barely been heard of during that time. It was a period of an unstable peace. The Quintessons, badly damaged by the side effects of the hate plaque retreated into their own territory. It was the December of the year 2011. The Autobots celebrated the anniversary of the truce._

Optimus Prime was standing on a tribune in the center of Iacon. The Autobots of Iacon, his officers and a great number of other spectators who came to the celebration were present. They all were assembled on a place before the platform with Optimus standing on it. He was about to hold a speech. Optimus spoke about the wars of the past and reminded the spectators about everything that they were able to accomplish and everything they have lost.

Before the five years of this truce, this planet had barely known peace for the last 9.000.000 years. Since the golden age, it had been in a nearly constant state of fighting. With the short break of the one year peace after the Unicron battle.

The only thing that slowed the war down in the end was the fact that it had slowly eaten up all the resources and energy. Cybertron became close to being a live less husk. The Autobots and Decepticons traveled to other worlds in search for new energy, like earth. But that only led to the war spreading to this other worlds. The Autobots found allies and friends on this other planets. People who are here with them now. The most prominent of them was Spike Witwicky, the ambassador of earth and one of the honor-guests. All this people, several more from worlds the Autobots had even lose contact with, Autobots, human and Aliens, were now hearing Optimus speaking.

"Autobots and friends", he began, "it has now been 5 years since the end of the fighting. Five years since we got what we wanted, peace. Even without guarantee. Nobody says that either the Decepticons or the Quintessons will hold this peace. Nobody, not even them, had ever promised us anything. But for now we have it. We had years of peace and happiness. We can live in freedom and security for now", he explained to them that this peace was possibly only temporary but that it was still worth something.

"But let us not forget the ones we had lost in the war", he reminded the spectators. Then he gave a testimony to a few of the countless millions of beings who had perished in this endless war.

"Ironhide, Ratchet, Wheeljack, Prowl, Brawn, Huffer, Powerglide, Windcharger, Topspin, TwinTwist, Firestar, Rack n´Run, Chromia, Red Alert and Elita One", Optimus listed a few Autobots, only from the last years of the war. Some he knew personally.

"and countless others", he continued, "Autobots, humans, titanians and other, to numberless to even count. Let us remember them." Optimus speech ended. First it was requited with silence, after a few moments with applause from everybody.

Next to Optimus came Ultra Magnus, Hotrod and Kup to the tribune. Ultra Magnus continued to speak.

"Autobots, for the last years plans were made to reinstall the high council that ruled the Autobots before the war. With that we will have a democratic government again,. One of the many things we lost in the long fighting. This new government body will lead the Autobots along with the Prime and his officers."

Ultra Magnus announcement was answered with similar applause as Optimus speech but a bit less enthusiastic. Politics were less popular with the most sentient´s when speeches of glory and good times.

The last one to speak was Hotrod, Rodimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots for two years and Optimus most likely successor. He spoke of similar things as Optimus but reminded everybody more that they had to stay on guard, that their enemies could always strike again and that they probably will have to fight for their peace again some day. Hotrod´s speech was less optimistic as Optimus but, as many had to admit, more realistic. He ended with words nobody would forget soon.

"Time, that is what the Hate Plaque and the truce afterwards had brought us. At first time to rebuild and bring our lives back in line. Then time for ourselves, time to be happy, time to take care of our worlds, time to live." So ended his oration.

Ultra Magnus stepped beside him.

"A great speech Rodimus." Magnus was one of the Autobots who still called Hotrod Rodimus from time to time. Especially if he did something really impressive. So the name became something of a compliment.

"Yes it was great", Optimus confirmed.

After the declamations were over, the celebrities were going on and the Autobots, humans and aliens present were slowly leaving the place. They would celebrate in other parts of the city. Over the last years the anniversary was becoming basically a universal, giant party. Suddenly the alarms were going off.

A few Autobots were transforming and driving to the computers to check what had caused the alarm. Others were trying to calm down the spectators. Some of them were starting to get nervous. Under the crowd was a robot standing who looked cybertronian in design but wasn´t wearing any insignia of the Autobots or the Decepticons. His body was mostly black and he had red eyes like the most Decepticons. The unknown robot only said the words.

"It is beginning."

xxxxxxx

The Autobot Mirage was sitting on one of the terminals of Cybertron´s main computer teletraan 2. He was one of the Autobots who had volunteered to run the security of the planet during the festivities. Standing next to him were now his comrades Jazz and Hound. Behind them was Optimus group just entering, accompanied by Perceptor.

"What has happened Mirage?" Optimus asked.

"It it is…", the Autobot was perplexed. "Optimus. According to this data a very large object has just materialized right in next to Cybertron", Mirage explained.

"How big?" asked Kup.

"Twelve kilometers in length and height. In it´s form it is, well, basically a giant pyramid. "

"And that has simply appeared out of nowhere?" Optimus was stunned.

"Perceptor. Can you give me some information's about the object?" Perceptor, Cybertron´s best scientist sat down next to Mirage and started to analyze all the data teletraan could receive.

"According to this Optimus, the object is showing tracks of various sorts of energies. Energon, kinetic, Chrono, Gravitation, rests of laser fire."

"Interesting", Optimus pointed out.

"Chrono, does that mean it is possibly not from our time?" Hotrod asked. He had seen such effects before.

"Good possible", Perceptor answered, "but that would not explain the other readings teletraan is receiving."

"We should send a team to study this object and check for danger", Ultra Magnus suggested.

"Good", Hotrod agreed, "I will lead the team."

"Hotrod", Optimus started to speak.

"What," the younger Autobot countered, "this is something interesting for a change", he said. Do you think I don´t take this seriously? Or would you rather send someone else, someone less important?"

"Okay, you are right", Optimus answered. "Go, take Sky Linx. Perceptor, Hound and Mirage go with him."

A few minutes later the Autobot were, inside the living shuttle Sky Linx, on the way to the pyramid. They saw that the entire construct was built from silvery looking metal.

"It looks impressive", Hound stated

"This could be a very important discovery", Perceptor pointed out.

"Then it is only fitting…", Sky Linx told everybody, "…that I carry the Autobots who will first set food on it." Sky Linx had sometimes more than a bit of an ego. Hotrod had to smile about this.

They found some sort of landing hangar on the surface of the pyramid. As they arrived there Sky Linx landed and the four bots left him. They departed to the inside of the complex. After walking for a few minutes through a tunnel they arrived in like a large hall. The hall was nearly 2 kilometers long. On the other side of it they saw something that looked like a large monitor and some mysterious looking instruments around it. As they walked through the room they saw something else. A small device, looking very much like the big pyramid they were in, but small enough that a Autobot could hold it in one hand, was floating in the air somewhere on the side of the hall.

Perceptor saw the small pyramid and walked to it. As he came closer the monitor came to live. A picture appeared on it. The monitor showed a planet they all knew very well, earth. Then they saw a familiar silver and red F15 approaching the planet, Starscream. Suddenly a strange projectile came from the planet and exploded in space. Because of the giant explosion Starscream was losing control and was crashing somewhere on earth.

"Do one of you recognize this scene?" Asked Hotrod, who had seen all that on the screen.

"Yes I remember", Mirage answered, "that was 1984. Starscream used an experimental energy generator for an attempt to blow up earth and that while the other Decepticons were still on it."

"A nice move", Hound commented. "That was 27 years ago."

"We should inform Optimus", Hotrod decided. "Perceptor, have you found anything that could be dangerous?"

"Here is nothing that confirms any sort of threat", the Autobot scientist answered.

xxxxxxx

A half hour later Optimus, Ultra Magnus, Kup, Mirage, Perceptor and Hound were standing before the monitor and watching scenes from the past.

Megatron was kneeling on the ground. Optimus Prime was standing before him with his gun in his hand. Optimus and Hotrod knew this scene all to well.

"Optimus I...", Hotrod tried to say something.

"It wasn´t your fault", Optimus answered. "No it was mine. I should have known he would try something like that, like he tried it about 1.000 times before."

On the monitor they saw Megatron begging for mercy. Back in the year 2005 when this fight happened, Optimus was taken back by this. Now he saw only an blunt and obvious trick to stall time, reach the gun and shoot him. And he had given him all time in the world, he remembered this, while the Optimus on the screen talked.

_"You who are without mercy, now beg for it. I thought you were made of sterner stuff."_

As he was finished with that little speech, Megatron already had the gun in his hand. Matrix, Optimus thought as he saw the scene, I am an idiot.

Then they saw Hotrod tackling Megatron to stop him. But the young Autobot was overpowered in no time and taken hostage instead.

"I shouldn´t have gotten have gotten involved", Hotrod explained.

"I shouldn´t have fallen for the oldest trick in the world and you wouldn´t have a reason to get involved in the first place", Optimus answered.

Then they saw another scene, Galvatron, lying in a sea of molten plasma. Then Cyclonus and the Sweeps landed and Scourge dragged Galvatron out. Right afterwards they saw how the Decepticon leader started beating or shooting his subordinates.

"That has to be it", Ultra Magnus said, "how Galvatron became insane. I never thought I would see it myself someday."

Then the scene switched. Galvatron, Cyclonus and the Sweeps were now attacking a space station. The Autobots saw on the monitor how the cons shoot the station until it was completely destroyed and the humans on it were either blown up or floating helpless in space.

"The attack on the Space-Defense Platform in 2006. With that fight the war was restarted", Hotrod remarked.

Again another scene. A group of Quintessons were working on a body, Optimus body. The Autobot leader turned ice-cold inside. He didn´t want to see that. They saw how the body came back to false live. Then a space battle. Autobot ships were blown up by Quintesson artillery. Optimus said in a sad tone.

"I have let them into a trap. Over 50 Autobots dead because I couldn´t resist their programming."

"That wasn´t you", Kup told him.

"No it wasn´t", Optimus confirmed. "That was only my body. It was the Matrix, as I got the Matrix back, my mind was downloaded from it. But even then I couldn´t resist them until you stopped me." He looked at Hotrod.

At the same time in another room in the pyramid, the black robot who was on the anniversary celebration was standing before one of the foreign instrument terminals. Out of his hands came energy, a dark looking form of lightning, that seems to, connect him to the machine.

Back in the hall the Autobots were in, the small pyramid on the side started to glow. A sphere of energy was started to be built up around it. Without any warning the energy-sphere expanded and started to pull all objects close to it in. Hotrod and Ultra Magnus, the Autobots next to it, lost their hold and were pulled into the sphere. Then it was over. The sphere, Hotrod, Magnus and the small pyramid were gone.

"Hotrod, Magnus. Where are they?" Kup yelled.

xxx

Hotrod woke up. Grass, trees, birds were singing, a yellow sun, this was definitely earth.

How did he get here? Had this strange object that they found somehow transported him to earth? Good, he had to do something. Hotrod transformed and drove off to go back to find other Autobots.


	3. time travel

Explanations and author opinions:

I want to make a few explanations before the next chapter. This fanfic is probably going to be an epic story. (This is simply another word for **very long**.) It will include a few concepts and situations from the 1986 Movie and other stories.

The unicronian Decepticons are playing a great role here, so I will give a few explanations for my take of them too. First at all, I go by the theory that Skywarp and not Bombshell became Cyclonus and Thundercracker Scourge. My list of reasons for believing that is long. The most important reasons are.

The Sweeps, who were reformed from Insecticons, obviously have the ability to multiplied themselves. Cyclonus don´t seems to be able to do that. The number of the Sweeps on the other hand has at least tripled during Session 3. It makes simply no sense that the Insecticons who became Sweeps should have kept that ability and Bombshell not.

I don´t even think the reformed Insecticons were the real ones. The Insecticons still appear during and after the movie. They were shown on Chaar stealing energon cubes (actually actively doing something). A possible voice appearance in "Fight or Flee".

The seekers had one appearance that could have been a mistake.

The Insecticons on the other hand had at least a half dozen appearances all in all. They were never even written out of the story. Skywarp and Thundercracker had by all rights vanished after the movie, the Insecticons were still around.

The universe bio´s of Cyclonus and Scourge replaced Skywarp and Thundercracker. Literally "replacing" them. The Insecticons again were not even removed.

A Jet makes more sense as new air commander than a Insecticon. And it makes sense for Starscream´s old wingmates to become his successors.

The only thing that suggest Bombshell could be Cyclonus in the first place is a scene that, everybody can see, is erroneous

Okay, there are always people who tell us we should "go by that we have seen on the screen." That Bombshell has to be Cyclonus because that is "what we have seen." That is the most stupid argument I have ever heard and I have heard many stupid arguments.

Pay a bit of attention to the scene. What we have seen is that two Cyclonus have been created an one vanished right afterwards without explanation. Look at the background. First 3 sweeps were created, including Scourge. In the next scene it are suddenly 5 and another one later suddenly 4. So if we go what we have seen, two Cyclonus were created and one of them vanished right afterwards. Three sweeps were created, who suddenly became five and then four. And I should now take that scene seriously for a second? On top of that the Insecticons constantly reappeared after the reformation scene, so by "what we have seen" Bombshell cannot be Cyclonus because he is still around.

Personality parallels between Skywarp-Cyclonus, Thundercracker-Scourge. And I mean the bit of personality that they have actually shown in the cartoon, not the tech specs that the cartoon wasn´t even following in the first place.

I always hear people claiming. "Skywarp is not smart enough to be Cyclonus, it is standing in his tech spec´s." Others say "Thundercracker is completely different from Scourge **(where?)**, he had far to many sympathies for the humans and doubts about the Decepticons." Okay and when exactly, had the cartoon ever included any of this? When exactly had Skywarp shown a lack of intelligence in comparison to the other Decepticons? Yes, he made a few mistakes. However Starscream or Megatron had messed up every second time they appeared. (remember for example Megatron´s "intelligent" plan in "changing gears" that nearly blew the sun system, Decepticons included, up or all the chances he had to kill the Autobots). If at all Skywarp came over as ten times smarter then them. What we can tell is that:

He was loyal to Megatron, reactivating him without any trying to get any reward, defending Megatron´s plans against Starscream, even starting a fight over this (Ultimate doom).

He made sarcastic comments and sometimes made fun of others. Yes, exactly like Cyclonus several times. Remember how he made fun of the paradronian, who was stuck in a wall or how he told a Quintesson that he trusts him as far as he can throw Trypticon. And of course the time where he send Scourge to get Galvatron out of the plasma and only said, "better you then me".

He was doing his job and otherwise let others made the decisions and that is all we can tell about it. We don´t know why he was like that. And again, how is that different from Cyclonus who couldn´t wait to get Galvatron back, who did everything to cure him instead of trying to take over himself and never asked to be second in the first place?

And Thundercracker, when had he actually shown sympathies for humans or Autobots. In "fire on the mountain" he had no problems to let the Autobots destroy one of Megatron´s weapons. But only to blame Starscream for it as revenge. He comes more over as a mentally insecure opportunist. In other scenes he appears to be arrogant. All that is a exact description of scourge.

All my arguments here however only work in the background of session 3 of g1. In another continuity Cyclonus could have easily been someone else. But I think the guy we have seen in session 3 had definitely been Skywarp.

There are of course others, who think the reformed Decepticons have lost their memories, got new personalities or might have been dead and gotten new live by Unicron.

Yes, being dead and new live by Unicron. Giving new live only means for Transformers giving new personalities (and sparks) to the bodies.

Why exactly should Unicron reform anybody then? If he could give live he could simply create his own army. He was able to create a entire star-ship and gave Starscream a new body out of thin air. He can easily create bodies of his own as he had proved, so why should he need the Decepticons. And why should he limit himself to giving Galvatron five new warriors, made from five old one´s? Why not 500? Why had he not created new robots to help him then he was a head, flying in space?

The answer is more than simple. Because he can not. At no point in the movie, the cartoon or the marvel comic was it even suggested that Unicron was able to create life.

And where was any sign that the Unicronians might have lost their memories on their past lives? I hear always comments like. "None of the reformated Decepticons except Galvatron ever showed any link to their past lives or any sign of remembering it."

Such statements are not even factual right. They remembered actually several things. The sweeps for example remembered Starscream´s voice, despite that they have never met him. Scourge repeated Unicron´s comment that "they belong to him", right before their reformation.

And how exactly should both, Cyclonus and Scourge, know that Paradron looked like Cybertron during the golden age (in "fight or flee"). That was 9 Million ages prior. Do you think they had nothing better to do then watch historical movies on chaar?

By the way, the only ones of they reformated who were around during that time were Thundercracker and Skywarp (They claimed so in war dawn). So this could be another Skywarp is Cyclonus argument.

It is right that they never talked about their past lives, but when were they ever confronted with it like Galvatron and besides who ever did? Have Optimus ever talked about his time as Orion Pax besides the single time the Airialbots had directly asked him? Had Alpha Trion ever mentioned that he was once called A3 and leading a revolution? And had anybody in g1, who got a new body ever lost his memories, has Galvatron, Optimus, Elita, Goldbug? No.

The standard in the g1 cartoon is actually that Transformers, who had been recreated into another form keep their memories, not the other way around. Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps had gone through exactly the same process as Galvatron, we have no reason to believe that the outcome was any different. They have never shown a lack of memories or knowledge. There are no visible differences between them and Galvatron and I see no reason to make some up.

In this story I have included some ideas of my own, for example the programs to rewrite their personalities or Skywarp´s and Thundercracker´s back-story. But this are named as my theories and not claimed to be canon fact.

According to Galvatron. He had been insane through a great part of session 3. But not the whole session and not to the degree some fans claim. Actually more than half of his post movie appearances, he seemed more or less rational. (Return of Optimus Prime, Ultimate weapon, Fight or flee and others.) His madness seemed to decrease after "webworld" and after "burden" (episode 93) he seemed completely back to normal.

So saying that Galvatron was insane in session 3 is a simplification. Good about all that ideas I am open to discussion. If someone has a comment about my opinions, you can post it.

**Chapter 3**

Ultra Magnus woke up. Metal, he realized that he was lying on something metallic. He looked around. It wasn´t clear where exactly he was but it was definitely on Cybertron. The area around him was empty and torn up in some parts. This seemed to be somewhere in the outlands. Magnus was going on his way to find someone. But he was careful when he was walking around. He had the feeling that something was not right. His radio was receiving some traffic that seemed to come from Decepticons. So it was possible that hostiles were in the area. Had the Decepticons broken the truce? Did it even play a role where ever he was. Theoretically, he thought, this thing could have send him everywhere. In the past, in the future, in another dimension, he had seen all this before. After about an half hour, he sensed that someone was approaching. Magnus saw a Transformer for showing a short moment, who was then going back into hiding. He realized that several robots were taking cover in a ruin direct before him. And probably aiming their guns at him. He decided he had nothing to loose. If it were enemies, he would have to fight his way out. But then, he had to it anyway no matter if he was calling out to them or not. So he decided to talk to them.

"Hello. I am no threat to you. Can you tell me who you are and where I am." Now he could only hope that he wouldn´t get blaster shoots as answer.

"Magnus. Is that you?" was what he got instead. He recognized the voice. It was Roadbuster, a warrior who served under him for a long time and a old friend.

"Yes." Magnus answered. "Don´t shoot. I am coming out." He showed himself, but held his arms up. He had no idea who the others were and he decided to be careful. Now he could only hope that this wasn´t some sort of trick. They came out. Roadbuster was the first, followed by the rest. Magnus now recognised them, Inferno, Twin Twist and Topspin. Autobots.

"Ultra Magnus Sir. We thought you were on earth", Inferno told him.

"That is a long story." Magnus answered him. "It might seem strange but can tell me the current date?" He asked them. "I don´t know how exactly I came here and how long I have been inactive." They looked at him and then understood. If he had been in stasis than he couldn´t even be sure what year it was. Especially if his instruments had been damaged.

"It is the year 9.000.024 after the beginning of the war", Roadbuster told him.

Magnus registered what that meant.

"You are a part of the Autobot resistance on Cybertron right?" He asked.

"Yes," they confirmed. He was in the year 2005. Obviously before Unicron´s attack on the planet. As Cybertron was still ruled by the Decepticons. He was in the past.

xxxxxxx

_Earth, in the year 1986_

Hotrod had now been driving on a road for some time. He was definitely on earth. On his driver´s seat was something, he slowly wished he had never seen. Hotrod had found the small pyramid, they one they had found lying in the grass, around hundred meters away from him. This thing was it obviously that send him here. Was Magnus also here? He thought Ultra Magnus was pulled into that strange sphere too but he wasn´t sure. But if he was, where was Magnus now? And where was he himself anyway? After nearly a hour of driving Hotrod was finally coming to a town. What he saw there really disturbed him. The technology in this town, especially the cars, were looking more than antiquated. He didn´t saw any modern technology. The entire town looked like something from 20 years ago. Am I in the past? He thought to himself.

Then he heard the sound of jet turbines. A silver F15 came diving down from the sky, Starscream. Hotrod saw the Decepticon taking aim at him and firing. He evaded the first shots without problems and fired back. It was a bad situation. They were to close to the town. Civilians got into danger because of their fight. There was supposed to be a truce. Earth should have been peaceful. Otherwise he would have been more careful as he approached the town. But if he was really in the past, this hadn´t even happened yet. Not that Starscream had ever been following the rules in the first place. Hotrod wasn´t even sure if the former Decepticon second in command was still around in his time. If he was, he anyway a rogue and not a part of the Decepticon army. Right now however this Decepticon was firing on him. He had to fight back. Fighting Starscream wasn´t a real problem. Despite his young age was Hotrod one of the best ground fighters the Autobots had. Even without the Matrix. Starscream was the best air warrior of his generation but he could match him. After avoiding a few shots himself, Hotrod was able to land a hit on the Decepticon jet´s side.

Starscream had to admit that Autobot was good. Originally he had simply been on a flight by himself. He hadn´t thought he would run into a lone Autobot and clearly not one he had never seen before. But as he had seen this one, he had gone for the chance to take him out. He had thought that he would get some easy prey and bring the dead Autobot as a trophy to the Decepticon base. A proof of his victory and a reminder to the other Decepticons not to underestimate him. Instead **he** was the one who was getting shot.

"Not bad Autobot", he shouted, "but I will win. You forget, I have a clear advantage over you." With this, he was firing one of his missiles. It flew right into the town and hitting a super market. The building completely exploded. Damn, Hotrod thought. He is attacking the city to get me. Starscream was firing another missile. Hotrod took aim to shoot the projectile down. He knew exactly where this would lead to, how it would end. But he had no choice. He knew Starscream would shoot him as soon as he turned his back to him but if he didn´t stop the missile many humans would die. Several, who knows how many, had already been killed by Starscreams first shot. Hotrod pulled the trigger and fired. The missile exploded before it reached the city. In the same moment Starscream´s lasers hit him in the back.

As Hotrod was lying in the ground the Decepticon transformed. He stood over the Autobot and aimed his null rays at him.

Starscream smirked. "I win. Goodbye Autobot", he shot.

xxxxxxx

_The year 2005, somewhere in space_

"How it pains me to do this", the Air Commander of the Decepticons said to his wounded leader.

"Wait. I still function", Megatron replied weakly. Starscream smirked.

"Wanna bet?" With that words Starscream let Megatron fall into the void.

xxx

Skywarp didn´t have a good day. He and four others, including his friend Thundercracker, were floating alongside Megatron in space. They were on their way back from the battle in Autobot-city, where he was wounded, as Starscream and Astrotrain came up with that story that they didn´t have enough fuel to made it safely back to Cybertron. Hey, was this another take-over attempt. If Skywarp had ever questioned one of Megatron´s ideas then it was to keep Starscream around. This wasn´t the first time the air commander tried something like that, by far not. It wasn´t even the first time he and Thundercracker were caught in the crossfire. He remembered Starscream´s idiotic attempt to blow up the planet Earth, with them standing on it.

And other times like that.

After they had been floating for some time Skywarp started suppressing the urge to scream out to Megatron and everybody else: "I have told you!"

It had no sense now anyway. Besides, why had you not killed Starscream himself? Shot him in the back, like he tried to shoot Megatron many times. He had more than enough chances.

Skywarp admired Megatron. He was his leader and his paragon. He was the one who had lifted him up once when he was completely down. Megatron had been the one who gave his life a sense.

And now he would die with him, not in battle like he had thought but somewhere in space by running out of energy. Unless a wonder happened, like a few times before. A part of him was hoping for the **"luck"** of crashing on some planet like they once did on Earth.

Megatron had decided to keep Starscream around and Skywarp didn´t questioned him, partly out of loyalty, partly of convenience. Just living your live, making fun of Soundwave´s cassettes and letting others lead is a easy way to live, he thought to himself. Out here he had much time to think.

Great and now he was getting philosophical.

He had to admit at some level he respected Starscream, another reason why he had never tried to get rid of him by himself. The second in command was the best air-fighter he had ever met, even better then Thundercracker and himself, a genius in the sky. And that for someone who had been a scientist before the war.

Admiring someone who had tried to murder you multiple times, look where it got him. He didn´t doubt for a second that Starscream was behind this.

In his half conscious mind Skywarp thought to see something, a planet. Great, here comes my wonder, something in him thought.

They were suddenly dragged to the thing he saw before them. His still working sensors registered some sort of force field. This was real, he realized. The thing addressed Megatron. It introduced itself as the Decepticon leader had asked.

"I am Unicron." That was it´s name.

"…have summoned you for a purpose." Skywarp was able to understand the most of the conversation. Optimus Prime was dead but Ultra Magnus was now Autobot leader and carried the Matrix. "Destroy the Matrix," was Unicron´s command, "because it is the thing, the only thing that can stand in my way."

Was Unicron the controller of the object before him or was he really the entire planet? Skywarp wondered.

They were Decepticons, they didn´t follow orders from some creature that has just shown up, no matter how powerful. Of course Megatron didn´t forget that. He asked Unicron what he whould have from doing this task. A new body the being answered and new troops. Us? Skywarp thought.

"You belong to me now", Unicron said.

"I belong to nobody", was Megatron´s reply to it.

After that, a beam from the planet before them hit him. Skywarp tried to see what happened but even the slightest move was difficult. It looked like it was tearing on Megatron´s outer structure and in the same time threatening to drag him back into space. In the end the Decepticon leader saw no way but to give in.

"No. I accept your terms. I accept." Accepting? What kind of choice was that?

"Excellent", was Unicrons only answer.

Skywarp saw how the beam surrounding Megatron changed. It became a green color that somehow seemed to shine trough his body. The outer layers of Megatron´s metal skin seemed to be torn off by the beam. Some sort of energy field was forming around him now, somehow like a construction plan. Then his internal mechanisms somehow became first liquid, than energy, reduced to the protoform and beyond that, then reformed in a new shape, reconstructed on a molecular level, unbelievable.

Then the process was finished, the robot known as Megatron was gone. In his place stood a purple robot from similar stature, with a orange gun on his right forearm and a helmet in form of a three piked crown.

"Behold Galvatron", as Unicron said. This was his new, old leader, Skywarp recognized.

In the next moment he saw how the beam switched to scourge and the Insecticons. New troops, of course. They were turned into identical looking, winged and bearded Decepticons. "Scourge the tracker and his huntsmen, the sweeps."

Next came Skywarp himself. He could feel his body starting to disintegrate, how his outer armor simply ceased to exist, how his interior became liquid. Then his senses exploded. It was as if his spark was disconnected from his body and knowing what happened with him right now, this was actually possible. He saw pictures, memories, parts of his life. His youth, the war, the near past.

xxx

He saw himself and Thundercracker living in the outlands of the old Cybertron. They were scavenging the corps of a dead empty for energon.

xxx

He saw them both standing before Megatron, when they first joined him before the war, over 9.000.000 years ago.

"Skywarp and Thundercracker. Welcome to the Decepticons", he told them.

xxx

He saw himself during the war.

He saw himself fighting in jet-form in Autobot-city. Skywarp avoided shots by the city-guns and the warriors in the ground. One Autobot, Huffer, he recognized him, was taking aim on him from the ground.

But He teleported away. He reappeared on the ground, right next to his opponent, transformed and shot him twice on short distance through the spark-chamber. The robot was instantly dead.

Skywarp transformed back and lifted of but in that moment Ultra Magnus appeared. The Autobot second shot him three times. Then he he lost control and crashed.

xxx

He saw himself, for a short moment connected with another mind. He saw a planet much like Cybertron, only smaller, inhabited by robots, doomed. He saw how the planet was ripped to pieces and swallowed. He saw glimpses of other worlds that ended in the same way, creatures who were reformed, just like them, who became pawns.

xxx

That was the past.

Then he awakened. He saw through new eyes that were not his old ones and he heard Unicron´s voice.

"Cyclonus the Warrior." His new name was spoken.

He checked his systems and was stunned. He had strength and firepower similar to Megatron´s and a speed in jet-form that surpassed even Starscream´s.

And he looked at the others. Warriors, slaves. If their leader, the one they had sworn loyalty, was Unicron´s personal property, what were then them? Gun-fodder, pawns.

"I will rip open Ultra Magnus and any other Autobot until the Matrix is been destroyed", Galvatron declared. Then he gave the order, "to Cybertron.

"Destroy the Matrix." That was the last they heard from Unicron.

xxxxxxx

Starscream´s moment had finally come. He was leader of the Decepticons.

Astrotrain was about to place a crown on his head. After all this years he was now taking Megatron´s place. All the power, all the glory would now be his.

All that for a simple reason, he had killed Megatron. He had taken what he wanted, like his predecessor had always told him. In a sense he was still following his example.

Of cause Megatron would have never just thrown his former leader into space. He would have given him a shot in the spark, a end with dignity. But that would have been an too obvious take-over attempt.

In this way Starscream didn´t have his life energon on his hands and he has still won. Why? because he is willing to go further then Megatron himself ever did.

Starscream was the one who followed Megatron´s philosophy to it´s ultimate end.

Had he been here, would be be proud of his success? Would he be angry of his in his eyes dishonorable acts? That was something Starscream had been asking himself silently a short time back.

The truth was it didn´t matter. Because now everything was his. He was now the one deciding what was right and wrong.

Astrotrain had finally placed the crown on his had and he started his victory speech.

"Fellow Decepticons, as your new leader I will…". In that moment a large, purple space-jet was descending from the sky and out came a purple Decepticon who was completely unknown to him. The jet itself transformed into a second robot who took the place right beside the first one.

"Who disturbs my coronation?" Starscream asked incredulous and annoyed.

"Coronation Starscream? This is bad comedy", the robot commented.

Suddenly he thought he knew who it was, but that was impossible.

"Megatron. Is that you?" Was all he managed to ask.

"Here´s a hint." That was all the answer he ever got.

Galvatron transformed into a artillery gun and fired a single shot. That was enough to burn Starscream from the inside out. The Decepticon Air Commander was turned to ashes in a matter of moments.

Then Galvatron took control of the situation and of the troops. He crashed the crown and asked for any other challengers. None came. They all hailed him as the leader of the Decepticons instead.

From inside Cyclonus quite exterior Skywarp thought: Goodbye screamer, sometimes it was nearly nice to have known you.

xxxxxxx

_Earth, in the year 1986_

Hotrod woke up.

"Hello Autobot. Welcome back to the living", he heard a mocking voice. Starscream, he remembered how the Decepticon had shot him while he was saving that town. He realized that he was wearing handcuffs.

"Where I am?" Hotrod asked. He didn´t know if the seeker would tell him anything useful but he could still ask.

"Oh. You don´t know where you are", Starscream said with false sweetness. "I shouldn´t be surprised. You don´t seems to be from here after all. But at least you have brought something so interesting to me." He was holding the small pyramid in his hand, the time machine if Hotrod was right.

"This thing is radiating many interesting forms of energy. Originally I was planning to simply kill you but I decided to let you live a little bit longer so I can ask you if you can tell me something about this little object. You are very lucky Autobot."

In the sky above them two other F15 were coming closer to their position.

"Megatron, we have finally found Starscream", Skywarp informed his leader, "and it looks as if he took a Autobot prisoner."

"Very good. I am closing up to you", Megatron told him.

"You like to hear yourself talk right?" Hotrod asked Starscream. The Decepticon kicked him in the side.

"Okay Autobot. I am sure I can put it to good use if you tell me something or not, but I would like it if you talk."

"Starscream", they heard a voice from behind them, "again going off on your own agenda?"

"Megatron." The Air Commander turned around. "You see I have just found this Autobot and captured him, along with this very interesting device and were…".

"Going to hand it over to me, right?" Megatron said to him. Starscream stared for a moment.

"Yes mighty Megatron", he finally replied.


	4. resistance

**Chapter 4**

_Cybertron in the year 2005, Iacon outlands Autobot resistance_

"You know", Roadbuster pointed out, "if anybody else told me, what you just did, I would not have believed a single word of it."

Ultra Magnus had told him the story how he got here. They were still sitting inside a ruin, somewhere in the outlands of Iacon. It was a hard decision on his part to tell Roadbuster the entire truth. Even at the risk of him not believing him and being thought to be crazy. But he had to. There was after all another Ultra Magnus on earth, taking over as leader right now after Optimus died and he will be replaced by Rodimus in a few days. And if it came out that there were two of him around he would certainly be accused of trying to infiltrate the Autobots and posing as their leader.

Better committed than shot for being a spy, he thought to himself.

"But you, I simply have to believe you", Roadbuster continued.

"Because I told you over 20 things only Ultra Magnus could have known and you know at the same time that **I**…", he pointed at himself, "are just taking over as Autobot leader in Autobot city."

"Yes", Roadbuster told him simply.

"That means I can not be a Decepticon impostor or the local Magnus who had lost his mind. So what is left what I can be?

"A time-traveler", Roadbuster answered him, "or a very dangerous individual. You are allowed to stay here but you will be put under guard the entire time."

"I understand", Magnus replied. "I don´t hold it against you that you are cautious. And thank you."

In that moment Topspin run in. "Roabuster!" He called out. "We are receiving a distress call from Moonbase 1." The base commander stood up and followed the other Autobot.

Ultra Magnus staid. He could imaging what that call was about. He had received it once before. Unicron was sighted.

xxxxxxx

_Cybertron in the year 2005, Decepticon headquarter sector Polyphex_

Galvatron was just having a briefing with the two Decepticon officers Soundwave and Shockwave. This two had been Megatron´s third in commands. Shockwave as his placeholder on Cybertron and Soundwave as his direct adjutant and right hand.

Cyclonus and Scourge were standing beside him, a sign of authority. Galvatron was securing his leadership. He contacted all officers and let them swear loyalty. This two should help to hold the discipline upright. During the entire conversation Galvatron had not a single time directly revered to his past life as Megatron. But he showed several times knowledge that only their old leader could have and let them made their own conclusions.

Cyclonus looked at them. Both were Decepticon loyalists like himself. Soundwave´s loyalty seemed to have it´s limits. The stoic Decepticon had done nothing as Megatron and the others were thrown overboard. Had he simply feared for his live? Had Soundwave believed the story that they didn´t have enough fuel to reach Cybertron with them or had he thought the others would kill him if he tried to stop them?

Cyclonus didn´t really blame Soundwave or any of the others that they were willing to sacrifice them. Confusion, fear, panic and exhaustion that was the situation. Who he blamed was Astrotrain. He made space flights on a regular basis if the fuel wasn´t enough to reach Cybertron, he should have realized that right at the start and not when they were somewhere in deep space. Or he had been collaborating with Starscream. Astrotrain was either dangerous incompetent or Starscream´s accomplice. Cyclonus would have liked to let that idiot make flights to Earth and back till he would fall apart, but he had more important things to do. Another thing that made him angry was that they were left to die like that. Simply thrown in space to die from deenergizing. Couldn´t they at least shoot them themselves. But then, he told himself, you would be really dead right now, irony.

He asked himself how Skywarp would have reacted. Would he have Megatron let been thrown overboard. Honestly Skywarp would have probably been shot. He would have done something and failed. But he will not. He would do everything to never come into that situation again.

The talk Galvatron had with the other two was nearly over.

"Shockwave you are not needed here anymore, return to your post", he told the one eyed Decepticon.

"As you wish Galvatron", Shockwave answered and left. The administrator of Cybertron, Cyclonus thought was one of Megatron´s most loyal followers and once one of his most feared warriors. Through millions of years of taking care of the planet and routine works he became however, in Skywarp´s and Cyclonus eye´s, something of a bureaucrat. In his opinion this was a terrible waste of a great potential. _Even if it was a source of good jokes._

"Soundwave stay here", Galvatron ordered him. "There is something I want to talk to you about."

Cyclonus could imagine what that was. But he wasn´t sure if he trusted Soundwave completely after what happened in Astrotrain´s shuttle-mode.

In that moment a Sweep came run in. Cyclonus recognized him as Sweep 2, built from a Kickback-Insecticon.

"Galvatron. There is something you need to see", he said to them.

The Sweep looked really distracted by something. When they came out they saw what was happening. Unicron was attacking one of Cybertron´s moons. And it looked as if he was swallowing it completely. All present except the reformed Decepticons were overwhelmed by the sight of this being alone.

Unicron looked like he or it came out of someone´s nightmare, a planet-body made of metal, like Cyberton, with a gigantic maw in it´s center and giant claw like fangs that right now, were digging into the moon.

xxx

Meanwhile on the moon, to far away to be seen by the Decepticons, a few Autobots were fleeing for their lives. Two of them lost their hold, were sucked into the maw and were lost. Jazz and Cliffjumper on the other hand were able to board a shuttle and start. The Autobot gears was still standing on the moon. He was normally not a very joyous type but as he saw that at least his friends were able to leave this moon, he had to smile. All around him the moon was breaking apart. He knew this was his end but he was happy that at least the others had a chance to escape.

xxx

On Cybertron the Decepticons watched as the moon was ripped to pieces and eaten by the monstrosity over them. Galvatron was furious. This moon was part of his home-world and his empire and Unicron thought he could simply destroy it. Even if Unicron had forced him to agree to his terms, that was never part of it. Did Unicron really think he would destroy the Matrix for him when he was at the same time destroying parts of his planet?

"How do you dare Unicron", Galvatron called out. He was standing on the podium where Starscream was holding his coronation earlier.

"Cybertron and all his moons belong to me." After he said that a stinging pain shot through his head. The agony was incredible. The other Decepticons saw that he was holding his head. Scourge looked at him and said, somewhat cryptic,

"Remember, we belong to him." At the moment he had said that Scourge asked himself since when he actually thought like that.

The pain increased. Galvatron lost his balance and fell from the stairs.

"I will obey Unicron," he finally brought out. In that moment the pain ended.

"Decepticons to Earth", he ordered.

Cyclonus had watched the entire scene with disgust. It was time to do something.

xxxxxxx

_Earth in the year 1986_

A number of Autobots were standing in a small town in California. The scientists Wheeljack and Perceptor, Optimus Prime, Prowl and Ratchet the chief medic were examining the rests of a local super-market that was blown up by a Decepticon today. One of the citizens was with them and explaining the situation.

"You say a Autobot came to this town and was then attacked by a Jet that transformed into another Transformer and captured?" Optimus Prime asked.

"Yes", the man told him. "The jet came and shot him. When he wasn´t winning against the robot quickly, he started firing into the town. The first shot had blown up the super-market. As the jet fired again the robot shot the missile down. But then the jet shot him in the back." That sounded very much like an Autobot, Optimus thought.

"The jet. What did he looked like?" Optimus asked.

"It was a silver F15", another man informed him. "I am the mayor", he introduced himself.

The Autobots looked at each other. They knew who that had been, Starscream.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, mayor. I only wish it was under better circumstances", Optimus replied.

"Can you tell us what the robot looked like? Are you sure it was really an Autobot?" Wheeljack asked.

"He was about as tall as you", the first man replied to Wheeljack, "he had a paint-job that looked like orange and yellow flames and transformed into a sports car and he had a red emblem on his breast."

None of the Autobots knew someone who looked like that but he was obviously one of them.

"Everything speaks for the fact that this is a Autobot. We don´t know who he is or how he came here but we should try to rescue him", Optimus declared.

"I hope you are able to save this robot", the mayor told him. He was protecting our town and captured because of it."

"We will do our best." Optimus assured him.

"Optimus, originally we came here to research the strange energy readings that were coming from this area. And now we are finding out that a new Autobot who nobody knows showed up in the same area. I think it is highly possible that both are connected."

"That is a interesting theory Perceptor. But we should now concentrate on finding this robot."

The Autobot scientist put a scanner out.

"As I thought. The source of the energy has moved. It is now somewhere in the rocky mountains. I am convinced there we will find our robot", he told Optimus with a smile.

xxxxxxx

_Temporary Decepticon base in the rocky mountains_

Megatron and Starscream were watching as Soundwave examined the device they had gotten from the Autobot. On the other side of the room stood Hotrod in energon-chains, guarded by Thundercracker and Skywarp.

Megatron addressed him.

"Tell me Autobot, what is that? How does that device work? Who are you and where do you came from?"

"Good. What I know, I can tell you with good conscience", the Autobot replied. "I have just found this device myself. When I came close to it, it suddenly started to work and send me here." Giving Megatron that information couldn´t do any harm.

"Soundwave?" Megatron asked. The Communication specialist was able to read many variants of waves, including Transformer thoughts. In short he could read minds. Soundwave started to scan him.

"He is telling the truth Megatron", the Decepticon confirmed.

"But that doesn´t mean he is telling the **whole** truth", Megatron pointed out.

"Continue with the mind-scan."

"Unnecesarry", Soundwave replied.

"What, why?"

"Machine language of that device is cybertronian. I can simply read how it works", he explained.

"What? That is completely impossible", Hotrod cried out.

"Ah, so you have really no idea how this device works. You had not even time to read the manual before Starscream caught you. Too bad", Megatron told him.

Hotrod´s first priority had been to find other Autobots when he landed here. He had no idea that he was stranded in another time, otherwise he would have taken a look at the pyramid first to see if it could send him back. But so he didn´t knew how dangerous the damned thing was and didn't want to risk it. He thought he was on a peaceful planet full of allies. Instead he was in a era where the war was still going on and he was running in a hostile Decepticon first. And now the alien device he had with him was in the hands of the Decepticons.

And if the technology was written in cybertronian they could easily figure out how it works. But if it was, that would mean the pyramid was build by Transformers or at least meant to be used by them. That didn´t made the slightest sense. This technology was completely alien. Nothing he had seem pointed in the slightest bit to a cybertronian heritage. So why by the Matrix was the machine code written in cybertronian? It didn´t made any sense.

"Bring him to his cell", Megatron said to Thundercracker and Skywarp. "Maybe we will still have use for him." The two seekers brought Hotrod away.

"And?" He asked Soundwave. "What have you found out so far?"

"Device seems to be capable to send objects to another point in time and to another place in space without any time difference", Soundwave said in his emotionless voice.

"Very good Soundwave." Megatron knew such a technology could be the key to winning the war and conquering the universe. He could send troops and materials to every point in space, to every time.

"I hope you don´t forget who found this useful source of knowledge in the first place Megatron", Starscream pointed in.

"Oh. You don´t need to fear Starscream. **None **of your "Efforts" will be forgotten", the Decepticon leader assured him.

xxxxxxx

_Cybertron in the year 2005, Decepticon flagship on the way to Earth_

"You know Scourge, that beard makes you look somewhat strange. That and the wings, a bit creepy, don´t you think?"

Cyclonus was uneasy about his friends latest behavior. How he said that they belonged to Unicron. Thought Scourge really like that? Had he given up their freedom so easily or was it something else? He could feel it in the background of his mind, like a voice that is constantly ordering him to, kill, destroy, obey. Unicron had done something with their programing. He was sure of it. That was also the reason Galvatron was talking to Soundwave. Had Scourge lost himself? His past incarnation would have talked with Thundercracker and made a few jokes. He hoped to get a reaction out of him. To see if his true self was still there.

"You know Cyclonus, a second in command should act like one and not make fun of his subordinates", Scourge countered. Cyclonus smiled, that was the reaction he had hoped for.

"Don´t worry. Your new look seems to become a fashion trend really fast", Cyclonus said to him while they were entering a room with three Sweeps who were nearly finished creating a fourth one. Their leader was standing next to the Sweeps, overseeing the cloning process.

"You see mighty Galvatron our clone ability is still intact and was even improved in many ways", Sweep 1 told him. Like their Insecticon "ancestors", the sweeps were able to create new copies of themselves, given enough raw materials.

The Insecticons were able to create mindless drones from rubble in a matter of seconds. Over time it became also possible to create sentient clones, that on the other hand was taking a long time. With the Sweeps on the other hand all clones were fully sentient. The creation of a Sweep took just over one day.

They saw how the new Decepticon was activated. His eyes glow for a moment and he started to move. Galvatron was curious. This was the first Unicron designed Transformer who was not reformated from someone else.

"Who are you and what is your purpose?" he asked the newly created robot.

"I am a Sweep. My purpose is to serve you Lord Galvatron."

Good so far, he thought to himself. We will see how well this one will operate in the future.

"Cyclonus, Scourge, I want to talk to both of you." They both followed Galvatron in his new quarters on the flagship.

"I am sure you have noticed something unusual since our reformation", he came right to the point.

"Yes mighty Galvatron", both of them answered.

Galvatron started to explain.

"I have let Soundwave confirm something for me. Unicron have placed a aggressive viral programing in our systems. This program is now influencing our minds."

"To what aim?" Cyclonus asked.

"We are not sure. But as far as we know it increases our aggressions and decrease the independent thinking. And of course it is brainwashing us to be loyal to him", Galvatron said with a lot of disdain.

"It is changing us into his puppets", Cyclonus stated.

"No, I belong to nobody." He looked at Scourge. "You may be a coward and surrender yourself to that abomination but I certainly won´t."

"But how?" Scourge asked. "You have seen what Unicron can do. What he can do if we try to resist. He is watching us the entire time. What can we do against him?"

Galvatron smiled.

"I have a plan", he told them. He showed them a small device he had been holding in a fan in his desk.

"This is my new time displacement controller", Galvatron explained. "You are right Scourge, as long as we are here, Unicron can watch every move we make. So we will time jump into the past."

"A time machine?" Scourge asked him.

"It is much higher developed than our old time travel equipment. It is based on the technology we got from the Autobot Hotrod 19 years ago. This one works more accurate than the old one´s and we won´t have any problems with it."

Then Galvatron activated a hologram that showed something that looked like a giant gun.

"What you see here is a pulse laser. We will go back 20 years in the past. We will build this on Earth´s moon. There it will stay, undisturbed for the next 20 years till now. It is charged with sun energy. After this 20 years it will have enough fire power to destroy even Unicron. In the moment we time jump back into the present the weapon will be fired and destroy our so called master. We will be free and Cybertron will be ours again."

Scourge smiled now. "A brilliant plan Galvatron."

"We will start when we are halfway to Earth", the Decepticon leader informed them. They were about to leave as Galvatron spoke again.

"Cyclonus, Scourge have you seen it, during the reformation, Unicron´s mind?"

"Yes mighty Galvatron", Cyclonus answered him. He had seen it and knew exactly what his commander was talking about.

"He wins energon by eating worlds. But that is not the reason he does it. I have seen it, his memories, his thoughts, for a small moment. He wants to destroy everything. He had changed others like us to serve his goals", Cyclonus told them.

"We have no reason to believe that he will spare us, even if we destroy the Matrix for him. Others have trusted him and lost everything. I am Galvatron, I won´t put myself under the mercy of that creature."

"Unicron must be destroyed", Cyclonus pointed out.

"Yes", Galvatron said.

xxxxxxx

_Cybertron orbit in the year 2011_

"Can you do anything to bring them back Perceptor?", Optimus Prime asked him.

"I will try", The Autobot scientist replied as he stood on the terminals of the mysterious Pyramid. "That is impossible", Perceptor suddenly said.

"What is it?" Kup asked.

"The machine code of this device, it is written in cybertronian. I can easily read it, I can use the machine."

"What but that means…" Kup was perplexed.

"We can later wonder about that Kup. Perceptor, can you bring them back?" Optimus wanted to know.

"It shouldn´t be hard after I found out how everything works.

xxxxxxx

_Cybertron in the year 2005, Iacon outlands Autobot resistance_

Ultra Magnus was sitting in a room in the small Autobot-resistance base in Iacon. He was thinking about the consequences of him being here. If he should get involved or if he should try to stay out the past. Alone the fact that he was here could change anything, he thought to himself.

xxxxxxx

_Cybertron orbit in the year 2011_

"I understand it now", said Perceptor.

"You know how the machine works?" Optimus asked him.

"Not only that. I think I can already locate Ultra Magnus. This Machine is using a sort of wormhole to make it possible to travel through time and space."

"Can you try to bring him back?" Optimus wanted to know.

"Yes I think I can open a gate to bring him back. Shall I try now?"

"Yes", Optimus answered him, "and then we find Hotrod."

xxxxxxx

_In the year 2005, Decepticon flagship on the way to earth_

Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge were standing on the deck. They stood close enough that the time displacement controller could grasp all three of them.

"Are you ready? I activate now", Galvatron told them. A large energy sphere appeared and was about to swallow them. But then it became unstable and started to fluctuate.

"There is something wrong", he called out. "I have interference."

xxxxxxx

_Cybertron orbit in the year 2011_

"What do you mean you have interference?" Kup shouted at Perceptor.

"It is as if in the past a second wormhole was opening that is now interacting with ours. It is becoming unstable." The energy sphere that was generated by the machine a minute before started to fluctuate and suddenly it disappeared.

"The gate has collapsed", Perceptor said.

"Could have something happened to Magnus?" Optimus asked.

"Unlikely", the scientist answered. "The gate wasn´t even open before it went out."

"Continue your work Perceptor. We will try again when we are sure that something like that won´t happen again."

xxxxxxx

_Cybertron, somewhere in the past_

Three Decepticons had just appeared out of nowhere.

"Where are we?" Cyclonus asked.

"This is definitely Cybertron, not Earth", Galvatron said. "Scourge give me a exact date."

"As you wish." The Sweep leader had the best sensors in the galaxy. With a few looks he could cartography the entire area and, even more important, the star constellations. He lifted off into the sky. After a minute he came back.

"I am not absolutely sure", he told them, "but I think we must be in the first years of the war. Shortly after the Golden Age. We are around 9.000.000 years in the past."


	5. dawn of war

**Chapter 5**

_Cybertron in the year 2005, Iacon outlands Autobot resistance_

Ultra Magnus was thinking about his situation. The Unicron battle would come really soon. He thought about himself and his role in it. The first time this battle happened for him, he had just been repaired from heavy damage and was to weakened to actually be a help. The Sweeps had literally shot him apart. It had been a wonder that no vital system was destroyed.

This time he was in a good condition and he was here. Was it really the right thing to stand by and don´t do anything?

Could he really do nothing while the other Autobots are risking their lives?

Had he not already influenced the past alone by being here?

After some time of sitting for himself in the room the Autobot resistance gave him temporally and thinking, he finally came to a decision.

xxxxxxx

_Cybertron 9.000.000 years ago border of the sector Poliphex_

The small group of Decepticons had gone into an ambush. Two Seekers and a ground soldier with tank alt-mode were being attacked by a larger group of Autobots. The Decepticons were on their way to deliver their cargo as the Autobots surprisingly attacked them. Now, they were in a desperate situation. They were trying to take cover behind a few down broken walls.

Suddenly they saw in some distance something that looked like a flash of light.

One of the Autobots addressed his team leader.

"Def Charger, I detect three new Decepticons, unknown type."

The group leader Def Charger was a large, mostly green Autobot who transformed into a war vehicle. He was one of the few Autobots who was designed especially for combat during the last war against the Decepticons before the golden age.

Now that the Decepticon leader Megatron had started a new war he was the leader of an elite team of Autobots.

"Understand Grim-Side. Can you tell me something about the abilities of these robots?" he asked the tracker of his team.

"No, the readings I get are completely off. What ever models they are, I can not identify them."

Damn, probably new prototypes, Def Charger was thinking.

xxxxxxx

A few miles away Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge were recovering from their misdirected time-jump.

"It will take approximately 5 breem (1 breem ca. 8,3 minutes) till the time displacement controller is recharged and we can go back to our time", Galvatron told his two followers. Both looked somewhat startled by the events.

"The corrupting programs that Unicron had placed into us had slowed down now", Cyclonus informed the others.

Galvatron made a system check that confirmed what his second in command´s claim.

"That proofs our theory that Unicron´s destruction would stop the programs and set us free", he said.

"But why have they then not stopped now? We are 9.000.000 years in the past?" Scourge asked nervously.

"That only means that Unicron already exists in this era. Somewhere in the universe, in some form he is already around", Galvatron explained.

He, Cyclonus and Scourge had realized that Unicron had a form of mental connection to them. That made it for example possible for him to torture them mentally or influence their programing over a distance. His influence was now weaker when Unicron was further away and not aware of them. When he was dead it would completely stop. But so far in the past they couldn´t do anything against him and it was too dangerous.

"We will return to our time as soon as the device is working again. Then we will try again. Stay here and wait, I don´t want to risk accidental interfering in the past."

"Boss we have a problem. Autobots are coming", Scourge warned the others.

A few moments later laser blasts were fired at them. They saw their opponents lying in wait on some of the buildings close to them. This robots were now shooting them from save cover. Cyclonus recognized the Autobots Ironhide, Prowl and Grim-Side.

The three new Decepticons were with the back to the wall. They had no choice than to fight back.

"Take them Out", Galvatron ordered, "but be careful not to kill anybody. Remember we must not change anything."

With that Cyclonus and Scourge transformed and attacked their enemies from the sky. They realized that this Autobots were the Elite Security Squad, a command group that was active during the golden age and the first years of the war. They were in many ways the predecessors of the famous group named the Wreckers. Their members were their leader Def Charger, Grim-Side, the later war heroes Ironhide, Kup and Prowl and two Autobots named Fist and Cable.

This team was once a legend and Cyclonus and Scourge were fighting them right now. Nine Million years were much time for technical progress. Over the years all Transformers had been growing stronger, very slowly and subtle but they did. In Cyclonus and Scourge´s case to this came the upgrade from Unicron that made them stronger than any regular Transformer anyway.

The Elite Security Squad had some of the best fighters of Cybertron of their time but against Cyclonus and Scourge they were only statistics. The fight took only minutes. Had the Decepticons been allowed to use their full strength and lethal shots it would have been seconds.

Even so Cyclonus managed to disable Ironhide, Prowl and Cable without problems and Scourge Grim-Side, Kup and Fist. After the short struggle the Autobots were retreating.

The three other Decepticons who had originally been ambushed by the Autobots were now lying on the ground, damaged and mostly unconscious. Cyclonus and Scourge transformed and landed to check on them and their carriage. They saw that all three were still functioning. On the ground next to them lay a large metal box that this robots were obviously transporting.

Galvatron arrived and landed next to them. He looked around at the unconscious Decepticons.

"Has anything been damaged here? Beyond what should have happened anyway?" he asked them.

Cyclonus stared at the three Decepticons and the box. This entire scene reminded him of something.

"Wait", he told the others and opened the box.

Inside was exactly what he thought it would be, six metal cubes.

Autobot personality cores. This was a transport of war prisoners who had been stripped of their bodies. And the transport was intercepted by a group of enemy fighters.

He took one of them out, the one with the storage number 0050. Cyclonus held it in his hand and looked at it, it´s significance.

In this moment he heard a weapon discharge and an explosion.

One of the seekers, he remembered him by the name of Gunpoint, had shot and destroyed the box with the other five personalities.

xxxxxxx

_At the same time, sector Kalis_

The Decepticons were attacking something that had before the war been a factory for space ship parts. Now it was a weapon factory for the Autobots.

Of course it was well guarded by several soldiers. Even one of the large so called guardian-robots, who had in the golden age been responsible for the security of Cybertron, was defending the factory. The Decepticons needed a strong force to take them down but the outcome was inevitable. Since their former leader Sentinel Prime had been killed by Megatron the Autobots were disorganized and without clear structure. The forces who were guarding the Kalis sector were alone and without any hope for reinforcements.

The defenders of the factory had no chance. Megatron personally and some of his best troops were carrying out the attack. A group of seekers led by Skylord the Decepticon Air-Force Commander was starting an air assault, while Megatron and his ground troops were storming the building.

The seekers Skywarp and Thundercracker two of his earliest recruits were fighting the guards on the main gate. Meanwhile their leader Skylord destroyed a automatic gun on the roof.

Thundercracker and Skywarp shot a salve of missiles at the guards and then transformed into robot mode. Skywarp teleported and reappeared right before one of the Autobots. He shot the completely surprised robot directly into the head. His partner Thundercracker used the chance to attack two remaining guards from the other side. He shot both of them and killed them with several blasts.

As the seekers had weakened the defenses the ground troops attacked. The guardian unit was so large that normal Transformers not even reached it´s knee. It´s armor however was nothing special and rather weak in comparison to real war-units. The Decepticon Shockwave used that weakness and attacked it in gun mode. One shot from the Decepticon ripped through the the guardian´s chest and destroyed it. Megatron fired a blast of his fusion cannon between the five remaining Autobot fighters. He hit none of them directly but it was enough to bring all of them of balance and damage a few. The other Decepticons attacked after this and easily finished them off. They went all down fighting.

Skylord, Thundercracker and Skywarp had meanwhile secured the entrance. They stood at attention as Megatron and Shockwave addressed them.

"Is the factory completely under our control?" the Decepticon leader asked Skylord.

"Yes Megatron no Autobot remains in the building", the commander of the Air force answered.

"Good take everything we can use from the building. Destroy the rest", Megatron ordered.

"Megatron the patrol has arrived", Shockwave informed him.

Another group of seekers came just closing in. They were led by a silver and red flier, who was instantly recognized by Thundercracker. As the patrol transformed and landed he greeted their leader, before he and Skylord brought him to Megatron. Skywarp smiled too as he saw the newcomer.

"Megatron", Skylord begun to speak, "can I introduce you to one of our new and one of our best recruits," he presented the other seeker to Megatron.

"This is Starscream."

The young seeker looked nervous and insecure as he was introduced to the Supreme Commander.

"Starscream, yes I have heard of you", Megatron said

"You have gone through the War Academy in record time despite the fact that you were not even a soldier before."

"He had the best grades that were ever reached at the War Academy. They were even better than Skywarp´s and mine", Thundercracker threw in.

"Yes Megatron, this guy is a genius", Skywarp agreed without any real jealousy. He and Thundercracker had quickly developed a liking to the new seeker.

"Thank you Sir. It is a honor to meet you sir", Starscream replied, flattered that Megatron himself remembered him.

"Starscream was a scientist before the war. He was part of a exploration mission and has only recently returned to Cybertron", Skylord explained. At the mention of this the young seeker had for a moment a sad expression on his face. Skylord saw this.

"He was the only member of the group who returned. His partner was lost", the Air commander added.

"I am sorry about your loss. Have you and your partner been close?" Megatron asked.

"We were friends. We knew each other very good", Starscream replied sadly.

"When I finally returned to Cybertron I heard that war has broken out. So I joined the army of our faction", he explained, this part without any visible emotions.

Megatron didn´t need to hear what else happened. He could easily figure it out by himself. Starscream´s post in the science academy was void when the war broke out. His place in society, in the Autobot society, was lost. He was alone, so he joined the Decepticons.

"I understand. It is good to meet a promising young talent like you. With recruits like you I hope we can finally win this war and bring our people the place in society they deserve", Megatron explained to the seeker.

"You have to understand something Starscream. You have been very lucky. Maybe not in the last time but in the years before. Your creators, whoever they were, gave you the chance to be educated and become a scientist in the first place.

Countless other seekers never got that chance. Many were just created and thrown om the street afterwards like garbage. Nobody needs war machines in a time of peace", he told him.

"Skywarp and Thundercracker here for example had been created in a factory that had produced seekers in the last war. And after the war was over they continued to produce them, despite that they know that this seekers were not longer wanted in the society, only to justify their own existence. So Skywarp and Thundercracker had been created and thrown away just afterward, like many others. They were not needed and not wanted by this planet ruled by the Autobots."

Starscream looked at the two. Their expression told him that what Megatron said was indeed true.

"You see why this war is necessary Starscream. Because the Autobots had won the last war against our ancestors we became second class citizens. The Autobots tell us our ideas and the ones of our ancestors are wrong and we are too dangerous to be in charge of Cybertron. But that is not true. The only reason why they were ruling the planet till now and we were in the underground is that their ancestors won. They won, we lost, so easy is that. It was never a question about right or wrong."

Megatron placed a hand on Starscream´s shoulder.

"You are one of us Starscream. We will make our place on Cybertron and you will get yours too."

Starscream stared at the Decepticon leader. A place in the world, that was what he had wanted the whole time since he returned to Cybertron. And he already knew that Megatron was right about everything he had just said.

xxxxxxx

_At the border of the sector Poliphex_

Five sentient completely helpless beings had just been wiped out in the blink of an eye. They had been enemies but they were still completely helpless war prisoners.

But all that wasn´t what gripped Cyclonus mind right now. He stared at the destruction and then at the object in his hand. He remembered who that was, what it meant. It was pure look that I had taken that personality out, he realized. He could only think about one thing.

The entire future, nearly destroyed by the cowardly act of an idiot. Since his recreation Cyclonus had heard a voice in the back of his mind that told him to fight, to kill, to destroy and now Cyclonus finally followed that instruction.

He clutched Gunpoint at the throat and was willing to crush his neck with one hand. His hands were digging into the metal of the seeker´s body. Cyclonus saw the pleading look on his face, begging for mercy. The voice told him to crush that disgusting creature, to torture him, to rip him apart. This time he wasn´t resisting.

Cyclonus remembered the importance of the personality he just had in his hands, what nearly happened.

He remembered how he had seen that situation before, how Gunpoint had lied to Skywarp about what had happened to the personality cores, how he had lied to him.

His anger knew no limits anymore. He started to crush his shoulders, to rip parts of his wings off. That was one off the most painful things that could have happen to a seeker.

In some distance the Autobots Ironhide and Kup were lying under cover. They had seen what Gunpoint had done. Ironhide was about to lose his restraining.

"This damn bastard. I will…" Kup was holding him back.

"You will do nothing. Have you forgotten what this new Decepticons can do? By the way, it looks as if this other Con is taking care of this matter for us."

"Yes you are right. I have never thought that I would wish a Decepticon good luck", Ironhide admitted.

Cyclonus was ready to kill. The seeker had already lost conscious and would soon die by his hand. Then he heard Galvatron´s voice.

"Cyclonus what do you think you are doing? You can not kill him remember."

He realized Galvatron was right. Gunpoint was meant to die in another way. He knew that.

"Mighty Galvatron I have just remembered something. I have seen this scene before", Cyclonus explained.

He looked at the seeker he was holding in his hand. With a move of his wrist he threw him into a near wall.

"You are right I can not kill him. I have never thought that I would congratulate the Autobot who did."

"Do you remember the prisoner transport out of the Kalis sector?" He asked Galvatron.

Cyclonus saw after a moment that he remembered.

The two Autobots were still watching. They finally saw that the three Decepticons flew off and left the unconscious ones behind.

"We have seen enough", Kup declared, "let us go back to Def Charger."

"Yes there is nothing left for us to do", Ironhide replied. He secretly wished to go down and finish that murderer off but he told himself the he wouldn´t sink as low as him.

"Do you think that seeker had survived?" Kup asked him.

"If he had, I will get him some day."

xxxxxxx

_Sector Kalis, former Autobot weapon factory_

Skywarp was in a conversation with one of the other seekers as Shockwave approached him. The Decepticon general was a machine of pure logic and duty and never socialized like other warriors. So that he even spoke to someone meant that he had an order for him.

"Skywarp the group who was transporting a number of captured Autobot personality cores had not reported to the set time", Shockwave said casually, without emotion. "Go with two other seekers and find them", he told him.

"Yes sir", Skywarp replied simply. He knew that Thundercracker had other duties right now and Starscream was in a conversation with Megatron. So he would just take two of the others. Megatron showed great interest in the promising recruit, like in him and Thundercracker. Understandable, they were the best air warriors in the army. Sometimes they managed even higher scores than the Air Commander, sometimes.

xxx

"You see Starscream the Autobots claim to be standing for freedom and justice. They say their state is just, they want to tell you what is right and wrong, but that is only a way to stay in control", Megatron explained to the young seeker.

They say that we are wrong because we have started a war and attacked them. They say we have started a violent uprising, we", he said full of sarcasm.

"But what was the reason that they were in control of Cybertron for the last hundred thousands of years? What was the foundation of their peace?" he asked "Because they won a war."

What was the reason their government came to power in the first place? It was the rebellion against the aliens who once controlled this planet.

It was a violent uprising that **brought** them into power.

It was violence that brought them into the place they are and now that they are in charge they condemn violence. Do you see their Hypocrisy Starscream?" Megatron asked the young Decepticon.

"Don´t let others tell you what is right or wrong. In reality freedom and power only come to the one who is willing and able to fight for it. If you want something and you think it is right for you, take it", he finished.

"I will always remember that mighty Megatron", Starscream replied.


	6. twist of time

You know it would be nice to get a few more reviews.

**Chapter 6**

_Cybertron 9.000.000 years ago, close to sector Iacon, the Autobot capital_

The three Decepticons from the future were on the way to the Cybertron sector Iacon to find a certain person. Galvatron was sitting in Cyclonus cockpit and thinking about his situation. He couldn´t believe that he was doing this.

After he nearly had killed Gunpoint Cyclonus had told them about what he remembered about this prisoner transport. Yes Galvatron remembered too.

The raid of a energon storage at the beginning of the war.

Megatron and a group of his soldiers were trying to get the energy to supply their troops. A number of young Autobots who were working in the facility were shot during the attack. One of them was a robot named Orion Pax. He easily remembered how the impressionable fool has allowed Megatron access to the energon. This young robot had admired Megatron back them. He could eventually have been rebuilt into a warrior and made a Decepticon. But when he tried to stop him from taking the energon he had sealed his own fate. It was a waste. Along with him others were destroyed. For example a female Autobot and another young robot named Dion. It wasn´t until ten thousands of vorn later (1 vorn = ca. 82 years) that Megatron found out that they had actually been rebuilt but not into Decepticons.

Two of the Autobot´s bodies had vanished shortly after the energon raid. Orion Pax was nobody else when the later Autobot leader Optimus Prime. Along with him the female commander Elita One had been rebuilt. The Autobot eldest Alpha Trion had found them both and gave them new, much stronger bodies.

The third one the Autobot named Dion was captured barely alive and his personality core sent into the new mind prison in the sector Kalis. This core was lost a few years later in a prisoner transport when Megatron had ordered the evacuation of the Kalis sector.

Millions of years later, after the Decepticons found one of Alpha Trion´s secret workshops and his data-files, Megatron found out the truth.

Alpha Trion somehow got his hands on the personality and rebuilt it into a third of his creations, Ultra Magnus. He appeared a short time after Dion´s personality vanished from the prisoner transport.

Optimus Prime became the new Autobot leader, Ultra Magnus the new second in command of his army, Elita the leader of all female Autobots. Megatron had accidental created his three worst enemies.

xxxxxxx

_Border of the sector Poliphex_

The three seekers had been flying over the area for several hours. As they finally detected what they were looking for, they transformed and landed.

Two damaged and deactivated Decepticons were lying next to the destroyed remains of a box. A third one was lying behind a wall. Close to them.

"Try to bring them back on-line", Skywarp said to the others.

xxxxxxx

_In the sector Iacon_

Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge had reached Iacon. They were now close to their destination.

Galvatron admitted what originally happened to Orion Pax and the others was a for the Decepticons very unlucky coincidence. But what he was doing now was even going a step further. Gunpoint told Skywarp 9.000.000 years ago that they were ambushed by a group of Autobots and three renegades.

xxxxxxx

_Border of the sector Poliphex_

After some field repairs and a few strips of energon, the three unconscious Decepticons were back on-line. Skywarp took a look at the damage.

"The Autobots got you pretty bad right?" He asked them.

"It wasn´t only the Autobots", the seeker Gunpoint answered for the three of them.

"When we were fighting the Autobots three renegades used the chance to attack and take us out."

The other two damaged cons looked at each other. It weren´t this renegades who put them into stasis mode, but if Gunpoint made them look better by telling this they had no problem with this. They saw that one of the seekers who came with Skywarp was examining the box.

"They also destroyed the personality cores of the prisoners", Gunpoint told them.

The seeker scanned the remains of the box and told Skywarp what he found out.

"What he says is true. This damage was caused by a Decepticon weapon. But the core with the number 0050 was not destroyed. It is missing."

Skywarp found that really strange.

"Had the renegades only taken one and destroyed the rest?" He asked Gunpoint.

"Ah, yes they said they only needed one and destroyed the rest then." He was caught of guard by this question, he hadn´t realized one core wasn´t inside as he destroyed the box.

"Bastards", Skywarp said quietly. Then he addressed the others.

"Good we have been here long enough. There might still be enemies in the area and you are in no condition to fight. We go back", he ordered.

xxxxxxx

_Sector Iacon, Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge_

They knew now that Gunpoint didn´t tell Skywarp the truth about what happened to the five cores.

Destroying them to keep them from falling into the Autobot´s hands? Maybe he would have been able to justify that. Even if it wouldn´t been looked well upon by many of Megatron´s warriors. Good, Galvatron admitted. Maybe in the later times of the war nobody would have even asked what happened to them but right now the war had not escalated yet. Only that it weren´t Autobots who were coming near the prisoners.

Cyclonus and Scourge had just defeated the Autobots. For all Gunpoint had known, they could have been simply reinforcements to help them. But he had still destroyed the cores. Then he lied to save his own hide and blamed some mysterious renegades for it, renegades who turned out to be he, Cyclonus and Scourge themselves.

The personality they had now with them was the one of the Autobot Dion that was meant to be rebuild into Ultra Magnus a short time in the future, a very short time. The only thing that Galvatron knew was that the "renegades" left with Dion´s personality and only a few days later Ultra Magnus appeared, built from exactly the same core, as Alpha Trion´s records proofed later.

The only explanation is that the three renegades gave him the personality.

He, Cyclonus and Scourge had accidental interrupted the past or they had more likely they had made sure that it played out as it was meant to be. They had obviously done exactly this in the past like he knew it.

In short they were on their way to Iacon to hand the core over to Alpha Trion. He was knowingly helping to create one of his worst enemies.

Galvatron couldn´t believe that he was doing this.

They transformed into robot mode and landed.

"Are we really going to do that?" Scourge asked Galvatron. "Would it not be better to just eliminate Ultra Magnus here in the past? Then we would not have to deal with him in the future."

He approached Scourge and looked him hard in the eyes.

"And how do you think would that influence the timeline? Ultra Magnus is one of the most important Autobots. The entire history would change without him. The world like we remember it would not even exist. Think alone about his role in the battle of Iacon in a few years", he told him.

"Yes mighty Galvatron I understand perfectly", Scourge had to admit his leader was right.

Galvatron remembered something else.

"By the way Scourge. Ultra Magnus was one of the reasons Unicron rebuilt us in the first place. We might not even exist when he is removed from history. Do you want to die in space?"

The Sweep now had a fearful expression on his face.

"And what about the Matrix", Galvatron continued, "who knows what could happen to it if the entire history is changed? If it gets lost over the years Unicron might simply attack Cybertron and not bother with anything else. Do you still think we should eliminate Ultra Magnus now?" he asked Scourge.

"No, you are right that would jeopardize our own existence", the tracker answered.

"If Ultra Magnus will stand in my way in the future, I will gladly destroy him myself but for now we need him alive. All what I wanted was a minimal manipulation of the past. I only wanted to travel a few years back. And now I have to deal with our time-line falling apart. All this was not part of the plan", Galvatron called out.

"We will correct this mistake and then we will return to our time."

xxxxxxx

_Sector Iacon, close to Alpha Trion´s secret hide out_

A single robot was walking around in the tunnels under Iacon. He was on the way to his creator. It was Optimus Prime, the leader of a Autobot fighting group that was active in this sector.

Optimus had been rebuilt from the remains of the young Autobot Orion Pax a few years ago. He had been given a much stronger body and a new battle programing by Alpha Trion. But he was still very inexperienced, especially for his new duties. So he was still often seeking advice by his new creator. He had reached Alpha Trion´s workshop.

"Alpha Trion", he called him, "do you hear me?"

After a few moments the older robot appeared.

"Optimus, I am happy to see you," he addressed him, "but don´t you think it is a bit risky to walk alone through the sewers of Cybertron to reach me?" he asked.

Both were well aware about the risk. Not only for Optimus himself. Alpha Trion had built him to be the future of the Autobots, the first of a new form of warrior robot. His destruction would be a great loss for the future, especially if it was caused by carelessness.

"I knew the risk and the chance to run here into a Decepticon patrol is more than unlikely. Especially one that is actually able to match me", the younger Bot told him. "And if you don´t want me to walk around to find you, maybe you should be in a place where I can reach you more easily", he added.

"I live out here because I don´t want to be found Optimus, especially not by the Decepticons", Alpha Trion replied.

"And you can not expect me to do things completely on my own yet", Optimus said.

The young Prime had the potential to lead the Autobots, Alpha Trion was aware of that. The entire military force and and not only a group of underground fighters. But so far it only was the potential.

Optimus watched around. He admitted, even after all he had gone through, this place still made him a bit nervous.

"If you have to hide somewhere, had it to be here of all places?" He asked his creator. Alpha Trion´s hide out was in fact nothing than the ruins of an old abandoned temple complex.

"The former owners of this place were told to be psychopaths, worse than the Decepticons. We used to tell each other fright tales about how they would hunt for young robots to use them as living sacrifices", Optimus remembered.

"Yes and this is probably one of the last places were the Decepticons would anticipate me to be, especially with the history of this place", Alpha Trion explained to him.

"I wanted to hear your opinion about a few things", Optimus told him.

"Good I will try to help you. What do you want to talk about?" His mentor wanted to know.

"Megatron´s activities in the last time. It seems that he is trying to drive all Autobots out of the sector Kalis."

In the moment he had ended that sentence the two Autobots heard a deep voice.

"Alpha Trion, Optimus Prime, I am honored to meet you."

As they heard that words Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge appeared. Optimus draw his gun. Who ever this Decepticons were, they knew who they were dealing with and they looked very powerful. Judging alone from the data his sensors picked up from them they would be much more than a match to him. Optimus didn´t knew a group consisting of so powerful warriors even exists. He had really made a deadly mistake by coming here alone, he thought to himself.

"I am not here to fight", the leader of the group, Galvatron, addressed them.

Optimus, who of course didn´t recognize the three Decepticons in their new forms, only saw three potential enemies who were very dangerous. He knew he was outmatched here. But their leader said he wanted to talk, so maybe they could. It wasn´t as if he had a chance in a fight.

The Decepticons weren´t so sure themselves.

"We didn´t know Prime would be here", Scourge whispered to Cyclonus.

"We will deal with it and remember, Prime is even more off limits than Magnus."

"Who are you and what do you want then?" Optimus asked the con who he had identified as the leader.

"My name is of no importance to you right now. I have an offer for both of you", Galvatron told them.

"Show it to them Cyclonus", he addressed his second.

Cyclonus took the mind of the Autobot out of the storage place were he had carried it.

"This, as you recognize it, is the personality component of an Autobot. It belonged to a robot who was shot in a energon storage raid two years ago", he informed their two enemies.

"His Name was, if our information is correct, Dion", Cyclonus finished his explanation.

Optimus visibly shrugged at the words of the Decepticon. Was it truly possible?

Dion had been his friend and had been killed at the day he had nearly died himself too. But if he could have been rebuilt when there was a chance for Dion too if his spark had survived back then.

"How is that possible?" Optimus asked.

"This Autobot was heavily damaged and sent into the mind prison in Kalis. We got it when Megatron transferred the prisoners somewhere else", Cyclonus answered him."

"I want you Alpha Trion to give him a new body", Galvatron said.

"Why should a Decepticon want us to build a new Autobot warrior?" Optimus wanted to know.

"I have my own intentions, Optimus. What should be interesting for you is that you can save a life here. And let us say it would be of interest for me if you give this robot the best body you can find and recruit him."

"You are a renegade right? You lead a group that opposes Megatron and hope Alpha Trion will create a powerful warrior against him, am I right." This was the best and only explanation Optimus could think of.

"You should never think that you completely understand my motivations but if it is that you **want** to think", Galvatron replied in a mysterious manner.

"Who says that this mind is actually who you said?" Alpha Trion wanted to know. "For all we know this might be a Decepticon or it could be manipulated somehow."

"Do all the tests and research on it to be sure about it if you want. We won´t hinder you. But let me assure you it is all as we said."

"We will test is first", Optimus replied to Galvatron´s statements.

"If this was all you wanted you have it and can leave", he stated, but saw that none of the three made any move to leave. Instead they were standing in some distance to the Autobots.

"We will wait here and see if everything will work", Galvatron said.

Optimus was willing to take the personality core if it turned out to be save to use but he didn´t want these Decepticons to look over their shoulders the entire time.

"I have once trusted a Decepticon and nearly died for it", he told them.

Galvatron walked casually over to Optimus. This Optimus Prime he said to himself wasn´t his great rival. This was a young and inexperienced robot and one who´s body was over 9.000.000 years behind in development than his.

Here, he realized he could easily rip him to pieces without even trying. This being before him wasn´t even fit to be called a enemy for him and this Optimus didn´t even realized how chanceless he truly was against him. It would be so easy.

But in the same time he could do nothing to him, not without wiping out his own past and destroying the world he came from in the process.

"Listen Autobot. I don´t need your trust and we could kill you easily if we wanted. I have no interest in your war and that is the only reason you two are still alive. You should better help Trion." With that he left Optimus standing.

The young Autobot went back to his creator. There were still a few things he wanted to talk with him about.

"I have never seen Transformers like this. Everyone of them seemed to be as strong as Megatron, at least. Where can they be from?" he asked the older Autobot.

"I don´t know Optimus. They claim not to be part of the war and have nothing to do with Megatron. We can only hope that is true. But remember, we were already searching for a mind for a new prototype before they appeared. If they are actually honest with us it would be a stroke of luck."

"That is the other thing I wanted to talk with you about", Optimus said to him. "The sector Kalis. Megatron is completely evacuating it. He removes every living being from it. I need to know why."

xxxxxxx

_City of Kalis_

The entire sector was nearly empty now. Only from time to time you still saw a Transformer.

And there were the Decepticon patrols that were still searching the area. Two Cons who obviously had tank alt modes were walking through the deserted city. In some distance they saw a wrecked looking figure.

It was a empty, a homeless Transformer, who was physically in a so bad state that it was nearly impossible to tell if he was originally of Autobot or Decepticon heritage.

The pitiful robot had obviously been scrapping for energon in the deserted town. He was sow low on energy that he could barely stand on his own feet and he didn´t notice the Decepticons close to him. As he finally saw them it was already too late, they were standing right before him.

"Hey look, we have forgotten something", one of them told the other.

"We were supposed to completely clear the area", the other said.

The empty looked fearful at the two warriors.

"Please I was only searching for some energon", he cried out. "I have nothing. I have nothing to do with your war. I have been living on the streets for years. Please."

"We have to clear the area. We should do it in the fastest way", one of the two Decepticons said. Then both of them aimed their weapons and fired.

xxxxxxx

_Iacon, Alpha Trion´s place_

"We have now checked the personality. It is really who and what you claimed. I have already a new prototype warrior ready. We will soon be able to activate him", Alpha Trion informed his three Decepticon guests.

"Very good. I guess it was fate that we came to you right?" Galvatron replied to him.

The Decepticons were standing before a wall that was full of different writings and pictures. In another corner of the room stood something the looked like the remains of a altar.

"What is this place? It looks like some kind of antique ruin?" Cyclonus asked the old Autobot.

"This was once a temple of a sect called the Brotherhood of Chaos. Have you heard of them?" The old Autobot informed them.

"A few times", Galvatron told him, "but tell me more." He was starting to be curious. As Megatron he himself had once to deal with this sect.

"According to the old cybertronian faith we and all other mechanical lifeforms were created by Primus, a godlike and incredible old and powerful being. But Primus was not alone, he had a counterpart, a being similar to him but with a different nature. This was a demon called the Chaos Bringer. Primus created life, the Chaos Bringer destroyed all sorts of it", Alpha Trion explained to them.

He showed them a washed out picture of a dark giant figure with horns and wings that was gripping smaller beings and swallowed them.

"In opposite to other cybertronians, the Brotherhood of Chaos believed that the Chaos Bringer was right, that he was stronger than Primus and would win. So they worshiped him. They even claimed that he had drawn one of the first cybertronians, one of Primus original creations, to his side who would one day rule with him."

Alpha Trion showed them one of the writings on the wall.

"Look written here is the name of the Chaos Bringer, Unicron." As Alpha Trion said this word, it caused a shock for all three reformed Decepticons.

"What is this?" Scourge asked a bit unsecure. He pointed at the last picture on the wall.

"That is another part of the prophesy of the brotherhood. It says that the Chaos Bringer will return someday and that before he will arrive he will send a warrior, a messenger for him who will prepare his coming."

They looked at the wall. The painting showed a figure that was painted in a so dark color that it looked nearly black. The figure had a three piked helmet and was surrounded by similar dark beings that had claws and bat like wings or had large pointed horns on their heads.

Galvatron looked at Alpha Trion. "Do you believe anything of this could be true?"

Trion was about to go back to his work as he looked at the Decepticon.

"I don´t know. The beings who have been controlling this planet 2.000.000 years ago claimed that they alone had created us but they were known to lie. We don´t know if they had truly created us or if they simply took over a already existing world and made a slave colony out of it. If there was knowledge of anything before it was lost."

The Decepticons looked each other in the eyes as the Autobot was gone.

"It is that possible? Is Unicron really this being?" Scourge asked fearfully.

"This...", Galvatron pointed at the walls, "…only proofs that Unicron was in contact with Cybertron before. We already knew that he was powerful. It shouldn´t surprise us that some fanatics worshiped him as a deity. They did the same with the Matrix, Vector Sigma and who knows what else." Galvatron balled his fist.

"I don´t care if Unicron is a god or a demon or whatever. I swear I will bring him down. I will find a way."

xxxxxxx

A few miles from them a group of Autobots was assembled, the Elite Security Squad.

"Did you find them?" their leader Def Charger asked his warriors.

"Yes and it looks as if they had captured three Autobots. Two of them are working on a deactivated third one", Cable answered him.

"Good, then we will get them out."


	7. creation

**Chapter 7**

With Optimus assistance Alpha Trion had been working on his new prototype for a few hours.

He was lying on a table in the largest room of the former temple, connected to Alpha Trion´s machines. The new Autobot was now nearly ready.

Galvatron and his two followers were still waiting, until Scourge approached his leader.

"I have located a automatic spy drone sir. It looks as if someone is watching us", he informed his comrades.

"Who ever they are, if they decide to come here, we will deal with them", Galvatron decided.

Optimus and Alpha Trion were still not sure if they could trust this Decepticons or why exactly they wanted them to built a new Autobot with Dion´s mind. But Optimus knew for sure if it can give Dion a new life, this would be worth it. And it wasn´t as if they really had a choice.

The newly finished prototype Autobot Ultra Magnus was now ready to be activated. Alpha Trion was currently making the final work to reactivate his CPU and wake him up.

Optimus stood beside him. He was anxious to see if his friend would really be back.

The three Decepticons were still watching them from the other side of the room.

xxx

In some distance from them seven other Autobots made themselves ready to fight. Their group leader instructed them.

"Remember rescuing the prisoners is one of our priorities. We have to be careful, but we also have to take the enemy out. This three are simply too dangerous to be allowed to run around", Def Charger told his men.

"The last time we lost badly to them", Prowl, the youngest member of the team reminded them. He was promising to become a good tactician even if he was still inexperienced.

"That they are that powerful is a reason more we had to take them out. They are a threat to all our comrades. We are the best the Autobots have, we can not leave this fight to anyone else", Def Charger announced.

"We are prepared for them now. The last time we were out of energy and they caught us off-guard. We outnumber them seven to three and we will attack from two sides. I am sure we can take them this time." The group leader was by far not so sure as he sounded but he had seen what this three could do. They were a even greater threat than Megatron. They had to deal with them now.

"Remember what we sad. Take them out on sight, fast and directly", he told them.

xxx

In the ruins of the chaos temple it was all going according to plan. The new Autobot would soon be awakened. Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge knew this had to be done. It felt still strange to them. They were helping in the creation of one of their strongest enemies. But the thoughts of all three Decepticons mirrored each other. Ultra Magnus existence was necessary to preserve the world they came from.

They would make sure he is created now so that they can kill him in the future.

Right now however they had a different problem.

"I detect several persons approaching, Autobot signals", Scourge informed the others.

"He is ready", Alpha Trion announced, "he will wake up now."

The new created Ultra Magnus were starting to show signs of live. Optimus felt nervous like he hasn´t in a long time. Since Elita One had been created in the same way. The eyes of the robot came to life and started to glow. He started to move, he was awakening.

At the same time, unnoticed by the Autobots, the Decepticons got ready to fight.

Ultra Magnus was standing up. He looked around to see where he was. Two Autobots were standing next to him, he realized. He saw that they were in a very strange environment. Then he noticed a group of Decepticons on the other side of the room. He shrugged visible. Understandable, the last time he saw Decepticons he was being shot.

"It is alright", one of the Autobots, a very large red and blue one with a battle mask, told him.

"This Decepticons are on our side, at least for now. They have brought you to us to be rebuild", the robot said.

He looked down at his body and saw that he was now a model, very similar to this robot, a large and heavily armed warrior.

"Who are you and what is this place?" He asked. The large, red Autobot answered him.

"I am Optimus Prime. Before that I was once Orion Pax. I was recreated like you."

To that name, Ultra Magnus reacted. "Orion, Is that really you?"

"Yes. This is Alpha Trion, one of the Autobot eldest. He had rebuilt me, Ariel and now you", his friend explained to him.

The new created Bot run a test to his systems and checked his computers. He saw that he was now programmed for combat and much basic information was stored in his databanks.

"Ultra Magnus?" He said the name that was now written in his systems.

"Yes my friend, that is from now on your name", Optimus told him.

"What about them, do you think we can trust this three?" Ultra Magnus asked, referring to the Decepticons present.

"No we can not." This time it was the other Autobot who answered him.

"Like Optimus said, I am Alpha Trion. I have redesigned you into a new, high developed warrior. I have to apologize that I had no chance to ask for your consent but we Autobots have not exactly much of a choice in our actions right now and you were reduced to a personality component."

"You had no choice if the situation is as bad as I think and I would probably have to become a warrior anyway."

"This three had brought you here. You were held in a mind prison until a short time ago. But they are following their own agenda. They are not on our side and don´t pretend to be either", Alpha Trion explained the situation to him.

"It is good to have you back my friend", Optimus said.

"Yes it is the same for me", Magnus told his old friend. "I think I own you three my thanks", he said in the three Decepticons.

"You shouldn´t thank us Autobot. We only did what served our own interests. If we meet again someday it is good possible that we will have to kill you", their leader, whose name they still didn´t knew said. That answer somehow left a uneasy feeling in him.

"Sir we should really go now. We have nearly no time left." The one who was introduced to Optimus and Alpha Trion as Cyclonus urged his leader. "I look out to see you Autobot", he said, his eyes pointed at Ultra Magnus.

"It is already too late", the third Decepticon informed his comrades.

Ultra Magnus felt quite uneasy. He had only been a warrior model for a few seconds and had already gotten challenges from two, according to his sensors, incredible strong warriors.

In that moment the group of Autobot fighters stormed in and opened fire.

Two other Autobots Fist and Ironhide had taken cover behind the temple walls, were aiming their guns on the Decepticons and shooting at them from there. To their horror however their combined fire had absolutely no effect on their opponents. Many of their shots were hitting but they didn´t even leave a mark.

Galvatron realized what had happened. The Elite Squad had followed them. The entire way from Kalis border, obviously to save the personality core. Now they thought that Optimus and the others were prisoners and they tried to rescue them. He was angered. It would have been better if they had already been away when this Autobots arrived. They would have teamed up with Optimus group, like they should have. Many of them would become later members of Prime´s core army.

But he let himself be carried away with making sure Magnus revival went according to plan. After a few moments a thought came to him.

Galvatron had to smile. He had just remembered something, something from history. He approached the leader of the Autobot group.

"You should ask yourself if it is wise to confront us like that after what we have done with your group the last time?" he asked him.

Def Charger couldn´t believe what he was seeing. All their firepower had done nothing to this three, now the robot stood directly before him.

"I can not let you go", Def Charger called out, "you are too dangerous."

He shot again and continued to fire at short distance, but the Decepticon just stood there and smiled.

"Your bravery honors you Autobot. You know you have no chance but are still fighting. Out of respect I tell you now that I will spare the others here", Galvatron said. "You should know something", he told the Autobot officer, "this Autobots aren´t prisoners."

As he said this to Def Charger he was quite confused by his statements.

"I am doing all this only to make sure everything is as it is supposed to be. And I just remembered one thing." The future Decepticon lifted his gun, smiling and aimed directly at the Autobot´s face.

His expression now showed a grim satisfaction.

"Def Charger is dead", he said and fired.

The head of the robot simply exploded while Galvatron just stood there and thought.

The Autobot group leader Def Charger had been killed in this year, in their history. According to the files he had been killed in a fight with a group of rouge Decepticons.

At least he got to destroy one Autobot.

The six others stared horrified at the headless corpse of their leader that was now falling to the ground.

Ultra Magnus started to move to Galvatron, but Cyclonus stood suddenly before him and pointed his gun at him.

"Don´t even think about it Autobot", he warned him in a uncompromising tone.

"We will go now", Galvatron announced. "Don´t think anyone of you can stop us."

Optimus addressed everyone present. "Let them go. Don´t try to hold them. We would only all die for nothing", he ordered. The Autobots, the Security Squad and Ultra Magnus did what he told them.

"Why have you done this?" Optimus asked him the Decepticon a startled voice. "If you are that powerful you could have easily got out of here without killing him."

Galvatron looked at the robot who had once and would again been his worst enemy.

"Always remember young Autobot. I may have helped you today because of my own reasons but I am still your enemy and I never claimed anything else. I will from now on stay out of your war and follow my own plans", he said to Optimus and the other Autobots.

"Who are you?" Optimus aggravated. Magnus had walked up and was now standing next to him.

"Maybe you will figure it out some day", Galvatron answered him. He looked the young Autobot in the eyes.

"There are things out there you know nothing about, threats you can not even imagine. I am just one of them. You should never forget this."

Optimus nodded with his head at Galvatron´s statement. "I won´t."

"Autobots", he turned around, "I am Optimus Prime, sector leader of the Iacon boarders. Don´t shoot but keep your weapons ready. Our "guests" want to leave", he said, now full of authority.

After hearing this the Decepticons looked at each other and walked out. As they had left the Autobots turned to the robot who had just revealed himself to be the famous new Autobot commander.

Ironhide walked up to him. "You are the Optimus Prime who had confronted Megatron in his attempt to conquer Iacon", he stated.

"Yes." That was the only thing he replied.

"Well, then it is a honor to meet you. I am Ironhide and this are Kup, Grim-Side, Prowl, Fist and cable", he introduced himself and the others.

"I am sorry about your leader", Optimus said.

"Thank you", Ironhide answered. They all looked at him sorrowful for a few moments.

"He died for what he believed in", Kup finally declared, "he wanted to stop a threat to all of us."

"This is Ultra Magnus and this is Alpha Trion", Optimus introduced the two others.

"Sir", Kup greeted the elder, "it is a honor too." Alpha Trion spoke to the assembled Autobots.

"Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus here are two of the first of a new generation of Autobot warriors. With them we have a real chance to fight the Decepticons and win this war in the end. Since the death of Sentinel Prime we have no common leader, no military structure and no united cause. We are not a state and not a army. We are only groups of rebels. Help us to change this. Join us under Optimus leadership."

The Autobot group was silent for a moment. They saw at each other. Then Ironhide said in Optimus direction.

"If you do something about the Decepticons, you can count on us." With that he offered his hand to the other robot and Optimus took it.

xxxxxxx

As Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge had reached the end of the underground constructions they started to fly. They landed then on a building in a short distance.

"Everything is as it is meant to be", Cyclonus affirmed for him. "Shall we go back now?"

"Not yet", Galvatron answered him. "In two days the battle will happen in which Ultra Magnus first appeared. I have to make sure the timeline wasn´t corrupted. We will observe this fight to make sure everything will play out as we know it."

The other two looked insecure. They knew which battle it would be.

"The battle of Kalis. Mighty Galvatron by all respect, do you really want to see this again?" Cyclonus asked uncomfortable. He didn´t like question his leader like that.

"We will. After all that happened I have to be sure."

"It was your dream", Cyclonus reminded him. "Do you really intend to sit by and see it happen all over again?"

"It was Megatron´s dream. I have other priorities now."

xxxxxxx

_The beginning of the great cybertronian war happened in three phases._

_First was Megatron´s uprising. But that was mostly a one-sided attack on the Autobot regime without much success in fighting back from the Autobot side._

_The second, so it is told, was the creation of Optimus Prime. He was the first actually successful leader of the Autobots in this war. But in the beginning he was only leading a single sector group and couldn´t challenge Megatron on a great scale._

_The third phase was the point as Optimus Prime took over as supreme leader of all Autobot forces. From then on the Autobots started to fight back coordinated._

In the borderlands of the Iacon sector was one of the many bases of the Autobots. It was subterranean like nearly all of them. Here was the home of Optimus and his followers. A fast growing group of robots who were organizing themselves to fight against the Decepticons. Today their number had increased by seven, Ultra Magnus and the members of the Security Squad, the best fighters Optimus could have hoped for. He had returned with his new recruits.

Optimus met Ratchet, his new medic, the only one they had so far. He was the first to greet him as he returned.

"Optimus it is good to see you are back and like I see you have brought a few new fighters."

"Yes, it is good to be back", the Prime told him. "This is Ultra Magnus, a brother model of myself and the Elite Security Squad."

Ratchet looked quite impressed.

"Very good, with warriors like that we might actually have a chance to win the war", he stated.

"I am Ratchet, chief medic", he introduced himself.

"And the only one", Optimus added, what caused a sour expression on Ratchet´s face. Then he decided to change the topic.

"Optimus there is something you should know about. A few hours ago we have found someone, a Autobot who said he came from Kalis. He said he can tell us why Megatron is forcing everybody out of this sector."

Optimus listened with interest. He was searching for the answer to this question for weeks now.

"Bring me to him", he told the medic.

Ratchet led him through several corridors and rooms in the underground base. Finally he was standing before a tall Autobot. This robot wasn´t in his own and Magnus size but larger than anyone else. His armor had a black, gold and red coloring.

"Are you Optimus Prime?" The Autobot asked.

"I am. What do you have to tell me?"

"My name is Cronus. I have just come from the sector Kalis. I had to fear for my life because I had found out what Megatron is planning", he explained to them.

"You are save here. I promise you that. Tell me what you know", Optimus assured him.

"It may sound unbelievable to you", the Autobot answered.

"Tell me. I will listen."

"Good", Cronus continued ."Deep under the surface of the sector Kalis, Megatron had built something, a set of engines, jet turbines, giant machines. It sounds unbelievable but this engines are capable to move the entire planet. He plans nothing else than to transform this entire planet into a giant space ship. That way he plans to conquer other worlds and the Decepticons would be invincible. In a few days, Megatron will activate the machines and then the entire sector kalis will be blown from the surface of this planet."

Optimus was speechless for a few minutes after he had heard this.

xxxxxxx

_The sector Kalis_

In the middle of the Kalis sector was now standing a large tower. It was, beside other things, the current headquarter of the Decepticons in this sector.

Three Decepticons were currently standing outside of this building, Megatron, Soundwave and the young recruit Starscream.

"Soundwave", Megatron asked, "is everything according to the spezifications?"

"Yes Megatron. The work is nearly complete and the engine ready for activation", the comm. specialist informed him.

"Thank you my friend, very good", he told Soundwave.

"Starscream", he addressed the seeker, "you have asked yourself what exactly we are doing here right?"

"Yes mighty Megatron", he replied quietly.

"Good, I have called you here to tell you what exactly our plans for this sector are and to demonstrate my invention to you", the Decepticon leader informed him. "What you see here", he pointed to the tower "is the control system for a machinery like the galaxy had not seen it before. Under this sector lying is a set of hyperspace turbines, large enough to move this entire planet through space.

Starscream, Soundwave, do you understand my dream? Cybertron itself will fly to every point in the universe we want. We won´t need to send expeditions out, like the one you have lost your partner in my young friend, to reach other worlds", he said to Starscream.

The seeker showed a undefinied feeling on his face at the mention of this but only for a second, then he was curious and passive again. Megatron continued to speak.

"The entire universe will be ours for the taking."


	8. The battle of kalis

The idea that Megatron is trying to convert Cybertron into a giant battleship is based on the marvel comics. The jet engines and their main reactor in the sector Kalis are described in the "City of Doom" storyline and the idea was already mentioned briefly earlier in the comic line.

This is the final of the past storyline. It is the longest chapter so far and the first major battle.

**Chapter 8**

"War is a series of catastrophes that results in a victory." (Georges Clemenceau, 1841-1929)

_The sector Kalis, 9.000.000 years ago_

The Autobots were preparing for battle. Optimus entire force, including the new recruits, had moved to Kalis. The Autobot Cronus had given then detailed information about what the Decepticon leader was planning and the location of his base.

The other Autobots were quickly informed about Megatron´s plans for the future of Cyberton. They all agreed on one thing. The Decepticons came far enough, without them doing anything about it. It was time for them to fight back. If Megatron should be able to raid other worlds, the Decepticons would soon become unstoppable. They had to confront them before the happened.

Some of the Autobots however distrusted Cronus. They thought he might be a spy. It was suspicious to them that this Autobot knew so many thinks about Megatron´s plans. The most of this information could he have gotten by simply living here and watching the Decepticons for some time. But some details he knew could not be explained in this way. Cronus claimed that he had this data from a Con who had attacked him and who he had taken out. It was possible. But some like Kup and Prowl still didn´t completely trust Cronus and his statements. It was however as both Alpha Trion and Optimus Prime said, what Cronus had told them was too important not to act on it. The least thing they had to do was to send a strike-force to Kalis to confirm Cronus words. So far everything he told them was true.

xxxxxxx

The Autobots had now assembled a few miles from their destination. The former members of the Elite Squad and Ultra Magnus had taken officer posts.

Magnus weakness so far was his lack of actual fighting experience but he had one of the best battle programmings in existence and incredible strength and firepower. Everybody had great hopes in him. Next to Optimus Prime stood Elita one the leader of the female Autobots and a fellow creation of Alpha Trion. She was once the femme named Ariel, the companion to Orion Pax, Optimus past self.

"The Dececticon base is in the center on the city. This tower in the middle of their defenses is the the main building. According to Cronus information it is further the control-center for a underground reactor directly beneath it that is controlling the turbines", Optimus explained to his assembled troops. "When everybody know the plan and his role we are ready to strike now."

"Yes", Kup replied, "we all got really very detailed information from Cronus. It is more than astonishing that he got that much from a single shot down Decepticon. Many wouldn´t believe it." He slightly glared at the informant.

The other mech starred back at him for a moment. Then he decided to answer to Kup´s doubts.

"I know you don´t trust me, but everything is exactly as I said. Go and watch the area if you want. The Decepticon are down there. I am not leading you into a trap", Cronus assured the distrustful Autobot.

"You have to understand why some of us find it hard to completely trust everything you said", Ultra Magnus told him and the others diplomatically. "We were trying to find out what Megatron is planning for months now. And now you suddenly show up and simply tell us absolutely everything we need to know at once. Of course some of us have their doubts", Magnus said with a side-look at Kup.

He was, like Optimus Prime was, in the middle of the Autobots when it came to his opinion about Cronus. He wasn´t willing to believe what he said unseen but he was not one of them who already thought he might be a traitor either.

"I understand you completely", Cronus answered, "but I don´t work for Megatron." He said this with a smile, "and I am willing to do everything to prove it. I will go with you right into the mid of the Decepticon forces."

"Yes and I will be with the entire time to take a look at you", Kup added sarcastically.

"We will attack in two groups", Optimus Prime ordered. "Ultra Magnus, Ironhide, take your people and attack from the North. I and the rest will come from the West. The Decepticons doesn´t know that we have joined forces, so our strength will surprise them."

"Understand", Ironhide told him.

"We are ready", Ultra Magnus replied.

"Good", Optimus raised his voice, "Autobots transform." With that command his troops were closing up to their aim.

xxxxxxx

The Decepticon fortress consisted of the main tower, several smaller buildings and a heavily armed defense wall around them. This was currently one of the best guarded places on Cybertron. From here Megatron controlled the new hyperspace engine that would transform the entire planet into a space-craft.

The three Decepticon elite seekers Skylord, Thundercracker and Skywarp were patrolling the area in their atmospheric jet form. They flew a few miles above the city. Skywarp and Thundercracker flew in formation behind the Air Commander. None of them had detected any remaining inhabitants so far. Their order was to search for Transformers who were still in the sector and remove them, if necessary by force. The patrol flight was nearly over.

"Hey Skylord. What do you think so far of our new recruit?" Skywarp asked his air leader out of curiosity about Starscream.

"He has great great skill. Maybe even more than any of us. I couldn´t believe it than I saw his scores and heard then that he had absolutely no experience in air fighting", Skylord told the black seeker his opinion.

"He has a lot of ambition too, he has gone through the War Academy faster than anybody else I have known, including you. To be honest it is a shame that he had as far only worked as a scientist and his entire potential as a fighter was completely wasted", he continued. "Given some time Starscream could become one of the really great ones."

"Yes he really seems to be a little bit full of himself", Skywarp replied.

"Look out, in a few vorn this young seeker could become a real threat to our positions", the Air Commander told him with a bit sarcasm.

"I am detecting something", Thundercracker told the other two, interrupting their conversation.

"Several signals are coming in our direction."

"Okay. We will check this", Skylord answered him. It didn´t take much time for them to see what their sensors had detected, Autobots, a large number of them.

Skylord contacted the base.

"Shockwave. Do you hear me? A number of nearly 200 Autobots is heading for the base. Have you understand me?"

"I have received your warning", the other officer replied. "We will prepare defenses. Return to base and join the troops." After getting the answer of the one eyed Decepticon, the three flyers turned around and flew back to the control tower.

A large army of Autobots led by Optimus Prime was heading directly to the location of their base. But so far unknown to the Decepticons a second group, led by Ironhide and Ultra Magnus was coming from another direction.

xxxxxxx

Megatron had heard that Autobots were coming. He didn´t know if they had found out about his plans or if they were simply attacking because the Decepticons had claimed this sector for themselves. It didn´t matter right now. They needed to be stopped. He stood right now in front of his ground troops. Right next to him was Blitzfight, a Decepticon who had a battle tank as a alt mode and was the commander of the ground forces in this sector. I that moment he received another call.

"Megatron. Are you hearing me?" It was Starscream´s voice.

"Yes Starscream. What is it?"

"I have made out a second group of Autobots that is coming in from the West", he informed his superior. It was the second warning of this sort Megatron was getting, he had already been informed about the approach of the enemy´s main force.

"Damn", he cursed. "Good work Starscream. Return to base."

"Thank you sir", the seeker answered.

The Autobots were slowly coming closer to the Decepticon base.

As Skylord, Skywarp and Thundercracker had reached the tower they transformed and landed in front of the rest of the seekers who had assembled by then. The Air Commander instructed them about the coming battle and their individual duties. As he had finished he said a few other words to everyone.

"Be careful and look all out for yourself. Fight as good as you can, give everything and don´t hold anything back. Remember, if you should be shot down you can not expect anybody to come back to you. This is a battlefield, always remember that", he told them loudly but had his eyes the entire time on the youngest recruit Starscream.

"Attack." The order came from Megatron. At his word all seekers ascended into the sky. The other Decepticons followed them in the air or on the ground.

The first Autobot group was now less than one mile away and were moving fast. Megatron recognized the leader. It was the same large, red and blue Autobot who had confronted him during a energon raid two years ago. Given what he knew now there was only one possibility about the identity of this robot.

The seekers were the first to open fire. They shot a few salves into the path of the approaching Autobots who were still in vehicle form. Several of them had to stop to avoid the shots. Then Optimus gave the order to transform. Moments later they had changed into robot mode and were firing back. Megatron flew now a few dozen meters in the air, right in front of the leader of the attackers.

"So we meet again Autobot. If I am not mistaken you are Optimus Prime, the new leader everybody is talking about", Megatron addressed the mech.

"Yes. I am Optimus Prime and I am here to stop you", he said determined. The Decepticon commander only smiled at the words of his opponent. It was bad that this attack was endangering his plans for Cybertron, but at least he had the chance to take his currently most dangerous rival out. He fired his cannon at Optimus but missed. The Autobot returned the fire but Megatron was able to avoid the shot.

Blitzfight was in formation at the top of four other tank mode Decepticons. They were now shooting at Optimus and the rest of the Autobot main force from a few hundred meters distance.

The seekers were at the same time taking the Autobots under fire from the sky.

xxxxxxx

Ultra Magnus and Ironhide´s group had meanwhile arrived. Their first contact was a small group of three guards who had originally been securing the base. This three opened fire on them on sight. They were however easily eliminated with a few shots by Kup, Prowl and Cable. Then a larger group of Decepticons came in and the real fight started for them.

Megatron saw the second Autobot group coming. He realized that it was led by a robot who seemed to rival Optimus Prime and himself in strength. This interested him. He decided to confront the other group first.

The three elite seekers Skylord, Thundercracker and Skywarp attacked the attackers from the sky, each of them killing one Autobot.

xxx

Jazz, one of the recruits Optimus had gathered during the last months, engaged a few seekers together with Ratchet.

Megatron was flying over the battlefield, Soundwave and Blitzfight close behind him. He fired his fusion gun at a crowd of Autobots on the ground. Two of them were hit. The blast ripped through their bodies and killed both in an instant.

Optimus was hit by a shot in the shoulder. As he looked around he saw a large Decepticon with a smoking gun standing behind him.

"I am Blackbeast", the dark armored robot told him, "I am the one who will kill you."

The Decepticon transformed into a wild looking creature with sharp teeth and claws and attacked.

Ultra Magnus and his group were fighting their way through a line of Decepticon ground warriors as they were intercepted by Megatron.

"As I see the Autobots are creating even more fighters of Optimus Prime´s form. Not that it will help them", the Decepticon leader said to him. "A warrior of your power is rare Autobot, too rare. Don´t you see that your side will lose? We will be ruled by the ones who have the will and the power for it. Why don´t you join me? I could need someone like you."

"Forget it. I have seen what happens to the ones who are happen to stand in your way", Ultra Magnus replied.

"As you want Autobot", Megatron said and fired again.

"We know what you are planning", Cronus yelled at him, "I have told them about your plans to activate the jet turbines."

Megatron starred at this Autobot. How could this robot have found out about his plan? He asked himself this for less than a second. Then he raised his weapon and shot at Cronus.

"If you want it that way?" He fired but the blast only gazed the Autobot.

"Do you trust me now?" Cronus asked Kup as he was lying on the ground.

"Okay. I admit you don´t seem to work for him", Kup told the wounded robot.

Ultra Magnus fired one of the missiles that were placed on his shoulder at Megatron. It hit the Decepticon leader in the chest and seemed to have caused an amount of damage.

xxxxxxx

A few miles from the battlefield, hidden between some of the buildings of the deserted city were Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge watching. Scourge with his highly developed sensors could easily oversee the entire range of the battlefield.

They were here to make sure that their time travel had not accidentally changed something in the past.

"It goes all as it should have", Scourge told his leader.

"Yes all is as it should", Galvatron said in a grim tone as he was looking down at the massacre.

xxxxxxx

Skywarp teleported and appeared directly in front of the former Security Squad members, surprising the Autobots. He shot and caused minor damage to a few of them. When they draw their weapons but he had already teleported again. He was now a few hundred meters away from them.

"I will deal with him", said Fist and followed the black seeker.

Optimus Prime´s foe was strong and dangerous and Prime was injured. This Decepticon Blackbeast, he had to admit, did really justice to his name. Optimus was one of the most powerful constructions on Cybertron. But he knew by now that being a fighter was also to a great part intuition and skill, not only strength and programing.

For a moment, he acted without a conscious thought. He acted faster than the Decepticon could react. Optimus managed to grip his enemy at the throat and threw him down. Blackbeast tried to draw his gun at him again, but he had already shot the Decepticon in the head before he had the chance.

As the dead Transformer sank to the ground Prime was already fighting other enemies.

xxx

The Autobot Fist got his name due to his ability to transform his hands. Right now his right has become a gun and he was shooting at Skywarp. But the seeker was able to avoid all his shots. Suddenly he teleported directly in front of the Autobot and fired his guns off at him. The first shots only scorched his armor, the next ripped through his chest and destroyed him.

Then Skywarp heard a voice behind him. He turned around and saw a tall, black, red and gold Autobot. He recognized him as the one who had claimed the he had led them to their base. The robot smiled at him.

"As I see, you have a interesting ability. I just happens to have a similar one by myself." As he said those words, the Autobot suddenly vanished from sight.

Skywarp saw two other Decepticons approaching him to assist but before they were able to reach him the robot reappeared right next to them. He draw something that looked like an ancient battle spear from subspace and before anybody could react he rammed it one of the Decepticons directly through the chest. Then he turned around and sliced the other the head off.

Skywarp took aim at him but the Autobot had already vanished again. He reappeared directly behind him. Skywarp had anticipated something like that and turned around in time. He shot his opponent but saw that this had hardly caused any damage. In the next moment he felt a sharp pain as the spear of his enemy cut through his shoulder and his wing. Skywarp disappeared and materialized again a few dozen meters distance. But the Autobot did the same thing and forced him to teleport again.

He had no longer a chance, he realized. This enemy was strong, he was damaged and his energy reserves were slowly getting low. His teleport system was using a lot of energy and he had already used it too often. He had never thought that he had to fight another teleporter. He had no other choice than to try a long range transport. But that would draw up his last energy reserves. Skywarp knew he was already defeated, so he tried it. He vanished and appeared at a place away from the other fighters. He was a few miles outside of the battlefield. His energy reserves were now nearly empty. For him, he knew this fight was over.

xxx

Ironhide had been fighting Decepticon ground forces for some time now. At first he had tried to back up Ultra Magnus.

But then Megatron and Magnus had been separated from each other by several robots who were attacking them. The ground troops, in first line the tank form cons, Ironhide had to admit were great to fight. If there was any sort of enemy especially created for him, it was them.

Despite being an Autobot, Ironhide had been a warrior for practically his entire existence. Fight was a part of his life. Then he saw something that really interested him. He was a warrior through and through but Ironhide always kept some morals. And killing defenseless beings which were separated from their bodies and completely helpless was something he really detested.

Right now he saw the seeker he had met two days ago and he had really no intention to let this murderer get away. Ironhide shot Gunpoint right under the wing to get his attention. As he had wanted the Decepticon was now flying to him.

xxx

Proxis was a young Autobot recruit. This was his first real battle and he was burning for the chance to finally see some action and fight the Decepticons himself. Now he had his chance. He was looking for a fitting foe. Proxis saw a silver and red seeker who he doesn´t recognized from any of the briefings. He took aim and fired at him. The Decepticon saw him and charged at him with incredible speed.

Proxis tried to take a shot at the seeker but he was simply to fast for him. After he missed him twice the Autobot became nervous and started to fire blindly at the flyer. The Decepticon jet only looked at him mockingly.

"I see you think you can best me Autobot?" Starscream asked. "I guess you are a young recruit right? Someone who is out to prove himself", the seeker stated while he shot back and hit the other robot in the shoulder. "But between you and me is one great difference. I actually have talent", he said as he shot both his weapons and killed the Autobot.

Then he transformed into jet form and flew upwards to continue the battle in the sky.

Starscream felt like he never did before as he fought in the air and on the ground.

He felt alive. No success he had, no discovery he had ever made before could match with this simply feeling to take on your enemies and to win. He was fast, he was powerful, he faced enemies and was able to defeat them, he even faced Autobots who had much more experience and were able to hold himself.

Megatron was right, he was a warrior. He could be one of the greatest and he should and would be.

Starscream had finally found an answer to all his frustration, his loss and his pain. He took aim on another Autobot and fired. This one fell down wounded and damaged, but Starscream was already searching for other targets. The lord of the sky was born.

xxx

Gunpoint was closing up on Ironhide from the air. He shot the Autobot a few times who had made so far no great attempt to fight back.

Ironhide waited till the Decepticon had reached the right distance. As Gunpoint was relatively close to him he took aim. That was the moment Ironhide had been waiting for. He took out the gun that he had hidden in his underarm the entire time, he like many warriors was carrying secondary weapons in storage places on their bodies and shot the surprised seeker down before he had even a chance to react.

Gunpoint crashed in a short distance to him.

The downed seeker transformed back into robot mode as Ironhide approached him.

"It is harder to take enemies down who are not helpless prisoners right?" The Autobot sneered at the him. In the face of the robot was a look of understanding. Ironhide saw that the other had realized that he was talking about.

"You better draw your gun", he told the seeker casually.

Gunpoint aimed at the Autobot warrior, but before he could fire Ironhide had already fired at him. He shot him three times in the chest. The Decepticon sank to his knees, dieing.

After a short moment Ironhide was back on his way to the main tower. He was trying to find Ultra Magnus or Optimus.

xxx

Megatron realized he had been separated as much from Prime as from this new warrior whose name was Ultra Magnus as he heard the other Autobots call him. Now he was standing before a number of opponents he had never met before.

One of them he recognized from files as Cable, a member of the Autobot Security Squad. He and his team were now following Optimus Prime but their leader was missing. There was a good chance that he had been killed. Above him Shockwave was flying in his gun mode. With a single shot he killed two Autobots, practically melted them down. Shockwave was as good as ever.

Megatron´s group had now the advantage over the Autobots present. He aimed his fusion gun at Cable and blasted the robot´s head off with one shot.

Next to him Soundwave killed one of the remaining Autobots. They had won at this small place of the battle.

xxx

At another part however it looked different. Ultra Magnus and his group had by now fought their way relative close to the control tower. Optimus Prime and Elita One were coming in from the other side.

Ultra Magnus was now confronted with Blitzfight the commander of the ground forces and one of his followers.

"Takehard", the Decepticon ordered his comrade, "we take this guy from two sides. No matter how strong he is we will get him."

"Yes." The other warrior grinned.

Blitzfight attacked Magnus from the front while the other tried it from the side. In question of strength he had no great problems to hold both of them off, but he was in danger of being shot from two directions.

Blitzfight aimed his weapon at his face but the Autobot managed to dodge the blast. Ultra Magnus fired his second missile and hit Blitzfight directly. The impact at short distance destroyed a great part of his upper body and killed him in an instant.

Takehard was for a moment distracted by this. Magnus used the chance, gripped the Decepticon by the throat and shot him in the head.

Next to him Kup, Prowl and Grim-Side were still fighting several opponents.

At this moment the remaining Cons were taken under fire from the other side. Optimus Prime and the ones who were with him had arrived. One of the Decepticons were aiming at Grim-Side but Elita One killed him before he could fire.

They were now in close distance to the control tower. If they could shut it down they would have won. But it was not over jet. Megatron and Shockwave were coming to them.

xxx

Cronus, who was still a bit further away from the tower, saw that Optimus and the others had nearly reached it. That meant they had nearly won, he had nearly reached what he wanted. He was right now involved in a fight with a few Decepticons. With a smile he swung his spear he cut another one the head off.

The most dangerous warriors of both sides were now standing against each other.

Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Elita, Ironhide and Kup against Megatron, Shockwave, Soundwave and Skylord. All of them were already damaged by the battle. Both sides were now firing an each other or in hand to hand combat. Optimus against Megatron, Magnus against Shockwave, Elita against Soundwave. Kup and Ironhide had taken Skylord under fire and managed to shoot the Air Commander down. He crashed several kilometers from them. But then something happened.

Sometimes coincidences have the greatest possible impact. A fallen stone or a tripped foot sometimes changed the world.

Something now happened that decided the battle and not only that. A single incident that was significant for the fate of the entire planet and the history of Cybertron.

The Autobot Prowl had like everyone of his model line two small missile launchers built on his shoulders. He fired them at one of the seekers. But the Decepticon was able to shoot the missile before it reached him. The laser fire of the Con however only gazed it, not enough to destroy it but enough to sent it out of control.

It flew aimless over the place till it met a target, the control tower. Through coincidence it hit the support line of the control system for the main reactor. Everybody saw it as the missile exploded but nobody could do something.

Megatron and Optimus Prime saw what happened but it was to late to stop it. One of them wanted to reform Cybertron into a weapon of battle, the other wanted to stop him. But what took place then was something none of them wanted.

For a moment nothing happened. But then, because the control system wasn´t working anymore, the reactor went out of control.

The ground began to shake. Something deep inside of Cybertron exploded, either a supply pipeline or the reactor itself. Flashes of lightning went out of the control tower and torched the entire area, short-circuiting the systems of several Transformers.

They all retreated from the tower, bringing some distance between it and them.

A giant quake was shaking the entire planet, getting worse and worse. Then the control tower exploded. A shock like never before went through the entire metallic globe.

To the shock of everyone the ground under them was starting to break apart. A giant crater was opening in the middle of the sector, filled with molten magma and the fire of burning plasma. Several Transformers couldn´t get away in time and fell helplessly into the inferno. The most Decepticons since being able to fly were able to get away, but the Autobots fell to their death.

Megatron was floating in the air full of shock, above the destruction. All his plans were crushed, his dream about Cybertron as the mobile heart of his empire destroyed. All he could do was scream.

"No", he yelled. That was all he could do. "That can not…, not like that." he called out to Soundwave who was beside him. "All my plans, my dream to recreate Cybertron, everything is destroyed. All that because some damned..."

Soundwave laid his hand on Megatron´s shoulder to get his attention.

"Situation is hopeless", he told him. "Retreat required."

He knew Soundwave was right.

"Decepticons retreat", he screamed like never before, full of rage.

xxxxxxx

Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge were still at the same place from were they had watched the entire battle.

"Again", Galvatron said flatly, "all this is happening in the same way and I can only watch." His tone held the same anger and pain as his counterparts.

Then something happened that was not supposed to be. Elita One was one of the robots who didn´t managed to get away and fell into the abyss.

They knew if their future was meant to become reality Elita One was one of the beings who had to life. Cyclonus flew out. He moved faster than any Transformer of this era had even a chance to.

One of the special abilities Unicron had given him, he knew, was a magnetic energy weapon. With this he could manipulate and move objects of metal from a great distance. This was his first use of that weapon. He aimed it at the female Autobot and stopped her in the fall. Elita One hung in the Air, carried by the Decepticon who had just saved her life.

Cyclonus lifted her back up and placed her right next to Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, who were staring at him incredulous.

"Are you alright?" Optimus asked his companion.

"Yes", she answered. "Why had this Decepticon saved me?" she asked him.

"I don´t know it", that was all Optimus could say.

xxxxxxx

The Air Commander Skylord was lying on the side of the battlefield. He was able to transform back into robot mode. He had been defeated. As Megatron´s order to retreat came everybody who was able followed it. Some wounded warriors were carried by their comrades. Skylord had told his seekers before the battle that they could not expect anybody to help them. That didn´t mean nobody would be helping a wounded warrior, the most wounded were always saved by their friends. But there was no guaranty.

Skylord noticed that someone was standing next to him. A hand was offered to him and after a moment he took it. As he looked up he saw the face of Starscream. The young seeker was smiling at him.

This young talented recruit had come to help him, Skylord realized. While it wasn´t a good thing that one of his warriors, especially a so new one, would see him in this state. He was glad that someone saw him and came to rescue him.

And he was glad that Starscream showed his loyalty in this way. He knew that this robot had great potential and could be one of the best fliers of all times. Skylord would be more than happy to help this young seeker with his carrier after they returned.

In this moment he realized that he was looking in Starscream´s gun. The young seeker was still smiling. The discharge of his weapon was the last thing Skylord ever saw.

Starscream looked around. He saw that in some distance a few fleeing Autobots had seen what he had done but he didn´t care. Should they see and fear him. He knew he would be the greatest. The new master of the sky transformed and flew up into the air.

xxxxxxx

As all Transformers were gone, Galvatron, Scourge and Cyclonus still supervised the place. Kalis was now a disaster area.

"It seems everything is as it should be", Scourge said.

"Yes as is should be", Galvatron replied bitterly as he took a look at the destroyed sector. "We will travel back to our time now", he ordered.

After saying that he pressed the trigger and the transwarp-sphere involved the three of them. A few moments later they were gone.

xxxxxxx

A few mile outside of Kalis the surviving Autobots had regrouped.

"There is no mistake", Kup pointed out. "Cybertron was thrown out of it´s orbit", he said.

Everyone murmered at this statement. A certain young Autobot felt at that moment worse than anyone else on the planet.

"Optimus. I. It was my fault. I am sorry I have failed us all like that", he apologist.

"Prowl listen to me. It was an accident. You had no way to know that this missile would get shot and hit the tower", Optimus assured him.

"I should have been more careful", Prowl said to them.

"And what would you have made differently?" Kup asked. "Not shooting on a battlefield? I would have done the same thing. That could have as easily been me or everyone else here." Kup looked around.

Prowl saw that nearly everyone nodded.

Optimus placed both his hands on his shoulders.

"You have a great potential as a warrior. What happened today was a accident that could have happened to everybody else too, even if the consequences were terrible. You were not at fault", He told him, convinced of his words.

"And what shall we do now?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"Cybertron was thrown out of orbit", Optimus replied, "that may be a global disaster but at least the planet is not under Megatron´s control either. He will not be able to raid the resources of other worlds and we have still a chance to stop him. And some day we will stop him", he declared.

xxxxxxx

_Decepticon Flagship in the year 2005, 9.000.000 years later_

Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge reappeared at exactly the same place they had vanished earlier.

"Had everything gone as planned?" Sweep 2 asked. "I guess not", he stated as he saw Galvatron´s expression.

"We had to live through all this again and for what?" Galvatron said angrily. "We were not able to change anything and everything was put at risk. It was all for nothing."

"Do you plan to use that device again?" Cyclonus asked him.

Galvatron thought about what nearly happened. Then he crushed the time-travel controller with his hand.

Galvatron knew he had another chance. He would find Ultra Magnus and take the Matrix from him and he would use it against Unicron. It was the one thing that could stop him and he would be the one who brought Unicron down.

xxxxxxx

_5.000.000 years earlier, somewhere in space_

No it was here.

He knew it had been here. Deep in the wides of space the monstrous being known as Unicron was furious. He was in the star system where the planet of Primus had been located, he knew it.

His old enemy had been in this system as he had been trapped into solid form all this eons ago. He had mentally felt Primus presence in this part of space for so long. But now he wasn´t there. He had found a way to leave.

In his anger Unicron was screaming out into the universe in a language that consisted of radio wave, telepathic messages and pure hate.

"I will find you", he called out. "Where ever you are. Some day I will find you and then it will be your end."


	9. Magnus fate

**Chapter 9**

The year 2005, on the planet of junk

_The planet of junk was generally a giant scrapyard in space._

_These entire world consisted only of various sorts of trash that was left by many space traveling civilizations of this part of the galaxy. _

_Right now this world was the place of a fighting scene. After their leader Optimus Prime died in the battle of Autobot city and Ultra Magnus took over the Autobots had fled from the Decepticons and their new mysterious leader Galvatron. On their way to Cybertron to stop the dangerous "Killer Planet" that had appeared in their home-system they were attacked by Galvatron´s forces and crash-landed on the junk planet. _

_But the Decepticons had found them here too. What the Autobots didn´t knew at this point was that Galvatron was recreated from Megatron by Unicon for one purpose, destroy the Matrix before it can be used against him. _

_Galvatron however had his own plans._

xxx

The sky over the are was full of Decepticons. Ultra Magnus had allowed his fellow Autobots to escape in the underground of this planet and then destroyed the entrance behind them. But that meant that he was trapped now with the back to the wall.

Shortly after Megatron and Optimus Prime died in the battle of Autobot-City, Galvatron appeared and took over the Decepticons. He executed Starscream who was, according to rumors, responsible for Megatron´s ultimate demise and was since then hunting the Autobots down.

Ultra Magnus remembered when he met Galvatron the first time, right after his activation. He remembered him all to good, killing an Autobot before his eyes just after helping him come back to life.

Why? That had Magnus asked himself for centuries. He never got an answer. The mysterious things Galvatron had done, Def-Charger´s death, his and Elita´s rescue. Nobody could tell why he did that, nobody knew what he wanted. Nobody even knew his name, until now.

_"I Galvatron will crush you just as Megatron crushed Prime."_ That was the first thing he had told him after 9.000.000 years.

Where had he been the entire time?

Why had he returned? Why now?

What did he want?

Ultra Magnus wasn´t sure about the answer to all this. But he knew Galvatron was dangerous.

Of the things he had said, Magnus remembered one line very clearly.

_"There are things out there you know nothing about, threats you can not even imagine. I am only one of them. You should never forget this."_

Things we can not imagine? Like the Killer Planet that is threatening Cybertron in this moment?

Galvatron returned at the same time this thing appeared. Was that only coincidence? Was there a connection between him and it? Was his statement more than a universal advice to be careful? Had it been a hint about things to come? Was it possible that this thing had been out there the entire time? Who could say that.

They had been on their way to try to fight the Killer Planet with the Matrix when Galvatron attacked them. Was that it? Had he tried to stop them?

It all didn´t matter to him right now. Here he was standing before the Decepticons, with the Matrix in his hands. He had tried to use it against them and failed. Optimus Prime had at his death repeated the old prophesy that the Matrix would light their darkest hour.

Of course he realized, he had been a fool. This wasn´t their darkest hour. It was the monstrous planet that was over Cybertron.

"Magnus I want the Matrix", Galvatron said to him.

Ultra Magnus managed not to show his shock about the words of the Decepticon. He was after the Matrix and he cursed fool took it out and presented it to him.

´Optimus forgive me´, he thought to himself. If they lost the Matrix they would loose the only chance to stop this threat and they would also loose the symbol of unity of the Autobots. Not that this would matter if they would all be destroyed.

"Never", Magnus called out the answer more confident when he truly felt. Galvatron´s reaction came instantly.

"Sweeps terminate him." At this order the four identical looking jets targeted him. They shot him, again and again.

"Die." He heard Galvatron say. Then he only felt how his limbs were blown apart and it became dark for him.

Galvatron triumphed. He had known it, he knew Ultra Magnus would be his way to the Matrix. Rescuing him was worth it in the end.

Once he had saved his life only to destroy him now and for him to be his key to freedom and power.

Now he would either bring Unicron under his control or destroy him. In fact, he actually preferred the second option.

Optimus Prime had fallen, Ultra Magnus had fallen and Unicron would fall soon.

"Unicon my master, with this I shall make you my slave", he said.

Light years away, over his mental connection to his creations, Unicron heard his words and cried out in anger.

Galvatron looked a last time at the fallen robot. Actually, he realized, he owed Ultra Magnus his thanks.

Your death will not be in vain Autobot, he thought. Through this I will stop Unicron and Cybertron will be saved.

xxxxxxx

_Cybertron in the year 2005, Iacon outlands Autobot resistance_

Ultra Magnus, the one who came from the year 2011, awoke from his recharge circle. Like so many times he had remembered his destruction at the planet of junk.

Similar to organic beings Transformers "dreamed" in their sleep and for him it was all too often this scene.

He had luck back then, the Sweeps had mostly only hit the connection points between his body parts and not vital systems. If his spark had been destroyed it would have truly been over.

But like this the natives of the planet of junk, the Junkions, were able to repair him.

Magnus left his room to talk with Roadbuster. Their operation would soon begin.

At his office he met him and Red Alert, the main security officer of the Autobot forces.

"Ah Magnus", Roadbuster greeted him. "Tell him what you have found out Red Alert."

The security officer looked at him strangely for a second. Although Red Alert seemed to believe his story and where he came from, but it was no secret that he was one of the most paranoid creatures in the galaxy.

"A new Decepticon leader, Galvatron appeared a few days ago. He killed Starscream just as he tried to take command, burned him down to ashes with one shot. But so much is publicy known", Red Alert explained. "Our spies in headquarters however say that there are rumors that Galvatron is actually a rebuilt version of Megatron." He lowered his voice nearly to a whisper as he said the rest.

"Some even say rebuilt by that thing out there in space and they say that it is a intelligent being that had forced Galvatron into servitude. It even seems to have a name, Unicron."

Roadbuster saw that Magnus didn´t look surprised.

"You already knew that right? Because you are from the future."

"You have told me as we met after I arrived here. That means in a few days from now", Ultra Magnus answered him. "I am, that means my other self is, right now on the way to Cybertron and will arrive soon."

Roadbuster only nodded with the head at Magnus explanation. Red Alert on the other hand was starring at him with an open mouth until Roadbuster addressed him again.

"Tell him the rest Red", he told him.

"Oh yes", Red Alert continued, "our spies also say that there are rumors that Galvatron had just returned from a travel through time. Some Decepticons say he went to the past to escape Unicron´s grip."

"But that are all only rumors right? We don´t know if anything of this is really true." Roadbuster wanted to know.

"Magnus?" He looked questioningly at the Autobot from the future, who looked like he was in deep thought.

"Yes", he answered him. This had been the way how he had finally found out the truth about Galvatron. Who he is and were he came from.

"This was the point from where he started", Ultra Magnus murmured to himself.

"What do you mean?" Roadbuster asked him.

"Nothing that is important now. Good, when my past self comes to you in a few days, tell him everything Red had told me right now and I mean everything. He needs to know."

"Of course I will. You can count on me", Roadbuster assured him.

"And Buster", he added.

"Yes Magnus?"

"This proofs some Decepticons simply talk too much."

"Yes Magnus", Roadbuster replied.

xxxxxxx

_5.000.000 years earlier, somewhere in space_

On a small world, a moon that circled around a gas giant, intelligent life had developed, a small society of organic beings.

But this world was now facing it´s end. They had the bad luck that their planet happened to be in Unicron´s path.

The population of this moon was relatively small, only around 700.000 individuals and an agrarian culture. This world had no space travel and that meant nobody even had the chance to escape.

The fangs of the monster were slowly digging into the planet and ripping this world to pieces. All life on it would be extinct. But for Unicron this was only a small step on his way.

As this world had died he was thinking.

Since he had reached the system where Primus planet should have been some centuries ago he had been searching the surrounding systems but found nothing.

That he found this small world here was more a coincidence. He could not even locate Primus presence anymore.

He was hiding, probably stalling time and no doubt preparing for their final confrontation.

Unicron was sure of it. Some day he would find Primus and till then he would continue with other worlds that came into his path.

xxxxxxx

Thousands of light-years away on Cybertron, deep under the surface of the planet, a robot was standing and talking to a voice whats source he couldn´t see.

"Are you sure about this Primus?" The robot asked the voice.

"Yes, my children are not ready yet to face Unicron. The fact that Cybertron left it´s orbit was in the end for the best. It bought us time.

If I go into sleep Unicron will no longer be able to detect me and it will give my children the time they need to develop to the point where they can fight him", the voice explained.

"I will download my mind into the Matrix and reduce my conscious thoughts to a minimum.

Now go to sleep too my child. When you awake again, you will have a duty."

xxxxxxx

_The year 2005, Cybertron_

Ultra Magnus thought about a conversation he had with Hotrod a short time after he awoke from his repairs by the Junkions, as they were boarding the ships to fight Unicron.

_"You are in no condition to fight yet", the younger Autobot told him. Deep down Magnus knew he was right. He had just nearly been killed and not really recovered. But he could not let them go alone._

_"I won´t just stay behind while you fight, I have to go", he replied._

Ultra Magnus flew with the Junkions, Hotrod with the other ship.

In the following battle Hotrod took the Matrix from Galvatron, became Rodimus Prime and defeated Unicron. Like he had predicted Magnus had barely played a role in the final fight.

But here he was again, thought the Ultra Magnus from the future. The Autobots here were soon going to fight the Decepticons and Unicron and this time, he told himself, he would make a difference.


	10. Breakout

**Chapter 10**

Roadbuster´s strike force was ready. Besides himself there were the time traveler Ultra Magnus, Red Alert, Inferno, Getaway, Joyride, Slapdash, several of the female Autobots and the elite team called the Wreckers.

The leader of them was Impactor, a large grey warrior whose left hand had been replaced by a harpoon, the jumpstarters Topspin and TwinTwist, Whirl, a tall one eyed robot with helicopter altmode and Rack n´Ruin, a strange creation of twin robots who were connected on their shoulders and shared their name and identity. He was made out out of two identical looking, green colored bodies with silvery metallic heads who both had their own personalities, but were working as two parts of one unit.

This attack had been planned for years, but under different circumstances. As they originally thought about this operation they didn´t know that Cybertron would be under threat from a living planet from outside of known space.

They didn´t thought that this invader would destroy their moon-bases and the entire energon storage of their army with them.

And they couldn´t have known that the Decepticons would attack Autobot city and kill several of their fellow Autobots including their leader.

Yes, they couldn´t have known this as they first planned, but they had decided to still attack.

Originally this strike was supposed to be a part of a much larger operation. They were meant to join with forces from the moon-bases and Earth.

Their aim had been to retake the entire planet. Nothing of that would happen now.

Instead they were now fighting for their sheer survival.

Polyphex had been the capital of the Decepticon empire for millions of years. Their headquarters from where either Shockwave or Megatron were controlling the planet was there.

The main target of the Autobots right now however was something else.

Roadbuster was explaining his and Ultra Magnus plan to the other fighters. The main subject was the infiltration of the two mind-prisons on Cybertron, located in the sectors Poliphex and Kaon. The hope of taking the planet back had the most of them already given up.

Only one of them knew it better, the Ultra Magnus who came to this place from the year 2011. But he couldn´t say anything. Just like Roadbuster here could not tell his past self about his presence or what role he will have played in the rescue of the prisoners. If Magnus remembered back, he had never even told him directly about which prisoners had been saved and which not.

Good job Roadbuster, he thought to himself. He didn´t want to know if he would succeed and save everybody or if he would fail and they would all die, not if it wouldn´t change anything anyway.

Roadbuster was still telling the Autobots the details about their strategy.

"We will separate ourselves into two strike forces. I and Impactor will lead the first and Ultra Magnus along with Red Alert the second group", he informed them.

Ultra Magnus himself had his doubts if he should actually lead one of the teams, but he was the most qualified.

"Our objective is to save the personality cores of the captured Autobot prisoners in both facilities", Roadbuster continued. "They will be rebuild and reintegrated into the Autobot forces. This mission was supposed to be a part of the offensive to reconquer the planet, but now we have another priority. If this planet killer in our system will attack Cybertron the prisons with the personalities inside will be easy targets.

We will rescue the minds of the prisoners before a possible attack and bring them to safety. When we will wait for the Autobot forces that will come to stop this thing and help them." The last part of hiss instructions was accompanied by cheers from the assembled robots.

"You all know your orders. Get ready and go", he ordered.

They got on their way. Roadbuster´s group, who flew directly to Polyphex, had a captured Decepticon shuttle.

The Autobots who went to Kaon used the tunnels in the underground of the planet to get close to their target.

Ultra Magnus hoped for the best. He knew some of his comrades wouldn´t survive the day.

xxxxxxx

_Decepticon flagship, in Cybertron´s orbit_

Galvatron finally had the Matrix, bound with chains to his chest. A security measure in case something unforeseen should happen.

Now he would go and take either Unicron´s submission or his life.

He knew the planet devourers power and resourcefulness. If he could force him to serve his purposes this war would end in a matter of days.

His second in command Cyclonus didn´t seemed that comfortable with the situation.

"By all respect mighty Galvatron. Do you really planning to go completely alone to confront Unicron?"

He could hear some degrees of worry in his second´s voice but he also managed to keep his tone respectfully.

"I will go and free us of this creature, in one way or another. Like he himself said the Matrix is the only thing he fears. Now we will see how much." Galvatron said this with a glance the object that was chained to him.

"I should come with you", Cyclonus offered.

It was obvious that he was concerned that Galvatron might not succeed.

He decided to take this as a display of loyalty, even if Cyclonus offer somewhat suggested that he might fail and be in need of help.

"And what do you think your presence could change my friend? No I need you here to command the flagship."

The truth was it was simply too dangerous to take anyone with him. Unicron could still torture him into submission and force Cyclonus to attack him. The only ones trustworthy enough to come with him were his fellow creations and Unicron could turn them against him if he wanted.

No, he had to go alone. The Matrix would take Unicron down, it had to.

"Cyclonus you are both, competent and loyal, but you won´t help me there. You have to take care of things here." Galvatron raised his voice, but also placed a hand on his second´s shoulder. "Don´t worry, I will succeed, Unicron will soon be under my control or destroyed", he strengthened the grip of his hand, "and then we will wipe out the Autobots and the universe will be ours for the taking."

Cyclonus only nodded in reply and watched as Galvatron took a shuttle and left. He only hoped that everything would turn out well for them.

xxxxxxx

_Air space over Polyphex_

"We are coming in reach of their sensors now", Impactor announced to the Autobots on board the stolen shuttle.

"Will this hijacked ship be enough to get us through?" One of the other Bots asked them.

"It will", Roadbuster told him. "We will not land in any restricted area, so they won´t have any reason to check our ship more in-depth."

"You have clearance." The answer came over the communicator after a short time.

"Good so much for the easy part", Impactor told them.

xxxxxxx

_The outskirts of the sector Kaon_

They had just come out of a hatch from the tunnels. Ultra Magnus and Red Alert´s group consisted of them, the jumpstarters, Rack´n´Run, Getaway, Slapdash, Skids, Firestar and Moonracer.

"We are still a few miles from the prison", Getaway informed the others.

"We can drive the rest of the way in car form", Red Alert told them, "but there is no way to get any closer through the tunnels."

"Are you sure about this?" Ultra Magnus asked him.

"Yes, as much as I hate it to march through enemy territory like that, there is no possibility to reach the prison underground."

"Then we have no other choice. Autobots transform", Magnus ordered.

With this they changed all into their vehicle modes. It were still a few miles to drive.

"I hope our back up will be ready", Red Alert told Ultra Magnus.

"Don´t worry", he replied, "they will come when they are needed."

They drove through the nearly deserted landscape of Kaon. But they had bad luck.

Unnoticed, in some distance to them, two other figures were hiding between the buildings. The two Stunticons Dead End and Breakdown had noticed the Autobots and observed them from their hiding place.

"An entire strike group of Autobots", Dead End said.

"Yes they are heading directly into the direction to the mind-prison", Breakdown pointed out.

"They are trying to save the prisoners there before the end is coming", Dead End thought loud.

"Are you again prophesying the end of the world?", the other Stunticon asked.

"You have seen the thing in space over us", Dead End reminded him, "believe me, the end of our world is near."

"Yes", Breakdown admitted, "in one point you are right, maybe we should have already left the planet. Anyway we better inform the headquarter about this."

xxxxxxx

_Decepticon flagship, in Cybertron´s orbit_

Cyclonus sat in the command chair of the ship. Beside him, Scourge and the Sweeps were on board.

"Cyclonus I am getting a transmission from Cybertron", the Sweep who was sitting on the communication console informed him.

"It looks as if Dead End and Breakdown have seen a group of Autobots who were on the way to the mind prison in Kaon", he told the Decepticon second.

"I understand", Cyclonus answered. "Shockwave do you hear me?" He contacted Cybertron.

"Yes Cyclonus." The one eyed guardian of Cybertron reported. Shockwave wasn´t yet used to his new superior but he did his work like always. Like Skywarp always had thought, Cyclonus told himself, a bureaucrat, but a very efficient one.

"We got a transmission that a number of Autobots are on the way to the mind prison in Kaon. It seems that they have chosen this time to attack. It is possible that they will hit in the prison in Polyphex too", he informed Shockwave.

"That is a logical conclusion Cyclonus. I will let both prisons be guarded."

"I will deal with the Autobots in Kaon myself. Sent reinforcements to the prison in Polyphex", Cyclonus told him.

"I will do that."

As the conversation ended, Shockwave´s face on the screen was replaced with grey static.

"Scourge you command the ship in my absence", Cyclonus told him.

"Two Sweeps come with me", he ordered

Sweep number one and two looked at each other and followed him.

"Have you any idea why the Autobots would attack us right now?" One asked Two.

"Simple", he replied, "they think Unicron will attack and crush us all. So they try to get the prisoners out and then get away."

"Makes sense", one stated.

As the three Decepticons had reached the hangar, they transformed and flew in the direction of Cybertron.

xxxxxxx

_Sector Kaon, mind prison_

The Autobot force had arrived in the area right before the prison. Two Decepticons were standing guard at the door. Both seemed to be light ground force models with some sort of car as alt-mode.

"Take them out", Magnus gave the order.

At his comand Topspin and TwinTwist stormed forward, while Getaway and Slapdash fired from a bit larger distance.

The two Decepticons were completely surprised. They were hit by several blasts and fell down dead before they even had the chance to shoot back.

Despite being a soldier through and through by now, Magnus hated it to kill. But this was war. There was no time to hesitate or think about the dead, friend or enemy, he told himself.

Unicron would attack very soon and there were the personalities of over thirty Autobots in this building who would be destroyed then.

They blasted the door open.

"Jumpstarters, Rack´n´Ruin, Firestar, you wait outside and guard the entrance. The rest comes with me", Magnus decided.

xxxxxxx

"When will this guys finally arrive?" Motormaster asked loud. "We should just go by ourselves."

After another few minutes of waiting they saw the other Decepticons appearing. Cyclonus and the Sweeps transformed and landed right before them.

"That now is a really eccentric design", Wildrider commented as they saw the Sweeps.

"You better get used to us. There are many other where we came from", Sweep 2 answered him sarcastically.

"Where are they now?" Cyclonus asked Motormaster.

"They are already inside. We were just waiting for you."

"Good." Galvatron´s second in command smiled. "Let us go."

xxxxxxx

_Sector Polyphex, the area before the mind prison_

Roadbuster and his team came relatively close to the prison complex but then they had suddenly been attacked by enemy troops. The prison guards had already been on alert and now a number of other Decepticons were assaulting them in jet form from the sky.

"Something has gone wrong", Impactor called out, "they were expecting us."

"Yes but we have no choice, fight on", Roadbuster told him.

Besides the regular guards, the triple-changers Astrotrain and Blitzwing and the seekers Ramjet, Dirge, Thrust, Darkwing and Dreadwind were there.

This shouldn´t have been the case. Instead of a quick break in the Autobots were now in a full blown battle.

xxxxxxx

_Sector Kaon, mind prison_

Five seekers were currently charged with the task to oversee the Kaon mind prison. Skywing, a purple jet who had been one of Megatron´s group when they crashed on earth 20 years ago and his two wingmates Phantom and Counterstrike were three of them. The other two were Havoc, a jet with a blue body and brown wings and a mostly black one named Midnight. They all were typical F15 seeker of the same type as Thundercracker and Skywarp.

Autobots had infiltrated the prison, they had realized. Their comrades at the outside had been killed.

Now the five remaining Decepticons were trying to defend the building by involving the Autobots into somewhat of urban warfare, entrenching themselves into the different rooms, firing at their opponents and keeping them from getting further.

Despite that Ultra Magnus and his team mates were slowly reaching the prisoner storage.

xxxxxxx

Cyclonus and his warriors had reached the prison. They saw that four Autobots were still standing st the main entrance. The others were probably already inside. This Autobots were quick. They came to late.

"Good", Cyclonus ordered, "First we take the ones at the outside. The Sweeps and I lead the charge. You Stunticons follow right behind us. We surround and kill them and when we have done that we go in and wipe out the rest. Have you all understand that?" He asked.

As answer he got a passionate yes from everybody.

A moment later Cyclonus and the two Sweeps were flying right at the Autobots. They landed only a few meters in front of them and opened fire in the blink of an eye.

Closely behind them followed the Stunticons who attacked them from two sides.

Like the Decepticon guards before them, the Autobots had no chance.

As Topspin saw the assault coming, he draw his gun. But Cyclonus was faster and shot the Autobot directly through the head.

TwinTwist saw this and was enraged by the death of his brother. He tried to attack the Decepticons but was shot in the side by Wildrider before he had the chance to do something.

Rack´n´Run was under attack from the Sweeps and the Stunticons. Firestar got hit and went down for a moment.

TwinTwist tried to shoot back at the Decepticons but was shot by Sweep Two. The blast pierced through his already weakened chest and killed him with a hit into his fuel pump.

The double Autobot Rack´n´Run went down under the fire. Motormaster shot his left body in the head and a moment later Sweep One killed his other half with a blast in the chest.

Firestar started firing wildly at the Autobots, but Cyclonus took aim and shot her with a single blast directly into her spark chamber, killing the female Autobot instantly.

All that had taken place in less than thirty five seconds. A few moments later the Decepticons were themselves attacked from above. Five jets with Autobot insignias, the Aerialbots, were approaching from the sky. Cyclonus recognized them.

"Aerialbots, Stunticons stop them", he shouted.

"Stunticons merge." Motormaster gave the order without wasting any time. They connected with each other, forming a single large robot.

After a few moments they had become the combiner robot Menasor.

"Airialbots form Superion." The Airialbot leader Silverbolt gave the respective instruction and his team formed their own super-robot.

The two gestalts approached each other. Menasor tried to hit Superion with his sword and the Autobot were blocking his move.

"We go inside and help the others", Cyclonus told the Sweeps.

In the prison building Ultra Magnus and the others were still dog-fighting the seekers. Skids saw coincidentally at one of the surveillance monitors and his circuits run cold.

"Magnus Decepticons are outside. The others are all dead", he shouted.

"Damn", Red Alert cursed, "our back up has appeared but they are fighting the Stunticons now. Three Decepticons are coming in." He saw that three more Decepticons had entered the building.

The Aerialbots had originally fled Moon-Base one as it was destroyed. Then they made contact with Roadbuster´s resistance group. They had volunteered to assist either strike group that would need help.

"Cyclonus", Ultra Magnus murmured as he saw the three new enemies.

xxxxxxx

_Unicron, in space in a short distance from Cybertron._

Galvatron was now finally facing Unicron. He was determined to force the monster into submission or destroy it.

In honesty, he wanted nothing more than to kill him here and now.

"Unicron answer me", he called out.

Galvatron was holding the Matrix in both hands, taking it like a shield before his chest.

"See this? The Matrix. I now possess that which you most fear", he said full of anger, threatening the planet-eater.

"You do my bidding or feel my wrath." As he said this he tried to open the Matrix, but then he realized to his horror that he was not able to open it. This couldn´t be, the Decepticon leader thought.

Why should Unicron fear it this much if it couldn´t be used against him?

Unicron said only one sentence.

"You underestimate me Galvatron."

With this words the ground under Galvatron´s feet began to move.

xxxxxxx

_Kaon, mind prison_

Ultra Magnus and his Autobots were caught fighting the Decepticons. They were trapped in the prison building, unable to get forward or back. His troops and the Decepticons were about even in strength. Their chance for a victory or at least a stand-off would be very good, under normal circumstances.

But all this was meaningless here and now. In a short time Unicron would attack, Magnus reminded himself and this building would be destroyed. This happened in his history and it would probably happen again now.

And all of them would die this time. They needed to get out of here and that now.

There was no way that they could defeat the Decepticons that quickly or somehow get around them. They couldn´t break through the walls either.

What could they do?

Ultra Magnus saw only one thing that was left for him.

"Cyclonus", he called out the name as loud as he could.

xxxxxxx

_Unicron_

Galvatron saw astonished that Unicron´s form was changing. He saw it but his mind wouldn´t quite register.

From the planet were forming out arms, legs and finally a head and skeleton like wings.

Unicron was transforming. The entire living planet was a Transformer in a size beyond any comprehension.

Unicron was finally standing before him, a single robot in the size of the planet Cybertron.

Galvatron, in some part of his mind, realized the resemblance between the being before and the painting he had seen at the Chaos Temple.

xxxxxxx

_Kaon, mind prison_

"Cyclonus." The Decepticon second heard somebody calling his name. He needed only a moment to recognize the voice, Ultra Magnus.

That was impossible. They had left the Autobot destroyed behind at the planet of junk. Even if he could have been repaired somehow, it was impossible for him to get to Cybertron in a such short time.

"Ultra Magnus?" He called out unbelieving.

"Cyclonus I have to talk to you", Magnus told him.

"That is impossible. We left you at the junk planet. You can not be here", the Decepticon answered him.

"As impossible as you being present at my creation?" He asked him and hoped that the Decepticon got the hint.

"How and why I am here is not important. I have to talk to you", Ultra Magnus told him.

Was Ultra Magnus another time traveler? Cyclonus asked himself. He decided to listen to what the Autobot had to say.

"What do you want?"

"Cyclonus listen. Unicron will attack. I know that Galvatron is on his way to stop him but his attempt will fail and Unicron will move against Cybertron."

That Magnus just told him here would be nothing then the realization of Cyclonus worst fears.

"Cyclonus", Ultra Magnus continued, "I have to ask one thing of you. Please, let us take the minds of the prisoners and let us go out of here."

For a second everybody was speechless. Magnus realized that the other Autobots were starring at him. The Decepticons in the other rooms had probably not reacted any different.

He had this one chance.

xxx

Ultra Magnus remembered the time where he had been blown out of a damaged ship over a black hole.

He had been floating helplessly in space, waiting to get swallowed by the singularity, until Cyclonus had dragged him back in with his energy field.

"Why did you save me?" He had asked him back then.

"Warriors like us deserve to die in battle", the Decepticon had answered him.

This had not even happened yet.

xxx

"This are helpless prisoners. Minds that were separated from their bodies who can do nothing to defend themselves." Ultra Magnus knew that this Decepticon had a concept of morals and honor and destroying the defenseless was not part of it.

"This building, this entire area will be destroyed. We are trapped here. We need to get out of here. When Unicron attacks we will have a chance to get away, but the prisoners not", he continued.

"Galvatron won´t succeed. Think about it. Do you really think a Decepticon, created by Unicron, can use the Matrix against him?"

This words hit Cyclonus directly in the spark. He realized that Magnus was probably right, remembering all his fears about what Galvatron was doing. Unicron was probably prepared for this possibility.

"Cyclonus please let us go. You have helped me once as I was completely helpless too." Two times actually. He though silently.

"Please let us go out of here before it is to late", Magnus shouted.

Cyclonus was in thought. He comprehended all what Ultra Magnus had told him.

After a short time he had made his decision.

xxxxxxx

In the sky above them Unicron had started to transform.


	11. Unicron battle

First I want to thank Shadir for the regularly reviews.

They are always welcome, from other people too. What I could need is more detailed critic about the story. About storytelling, characterisation and other things.

I have given the chapters of this story now individual names, as you can see.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Cyclonus had made his decision.

He could vividly remember what happened in the past. In his mind everybody at least deserved a chance to fight back. If they would actually took that chance was their own business.

If Magnus was right Unicron would soon attack. And if what the Autobot told him had been a hint to anything, Ultra Magnus might be a time traveler.

He clearly remembered their meeting in the past and especially mentioned it here. Back then he had been the time traveler. Was it this time the other way around?

And if he was, Magnus would know something about what would happen. That would at least be an explanation how he could be on this planet now and how he could be so sure that Galvatron´s attempt would fail and Unicron would attack.

"Decepticons, stand down", he ordered them, "evacuate the building."

Cyclonus saw that every Decepticon now froze and looked at him. He admitted that his order was quite unusual.

"We will soon be attacked", he pointed out, without more words. He just saw upwards. For the most Decepticons present this was already explanation enough.

"Get out of here and go back to headquarters", Cyclonus insisted.

The Autobots didn´t know what to think. That a Autobot leader would ask a Decepticon commander for deference for imprisoned Autobot minds and to just let them go with the personality cores was strange enough. The thought alone was downright insane.

But that the Decepticon would actually agree to this, that was beyond anything.

This situation would surely go down in history of Cybertron, Red Alert thought. But sadly it wouldn´t be the only thing for the history this day.

"You have heard it. Take the personality cores of the prisoners and then leave this place", Red Alert told the other Autobots.

Now while the way was free, they were running to the cell blocks and started removing the personality components from their holding places.

The Decepticons who had been in the prison had left the building. Cyclonus saw that Ultra Magnus had been right as he looked into the sky.

xxx

At the same time, far above them, the living planet had began to change his form.

Cyclonus, the Sweeps and the seekers who had been guarding the prison complex were transforming into their jet modes and flying back in direction of Polyphex, the Stunticons following them in a short distance.

They needed to get back to the ship, Cyclonus thought.

Ultra Magnus and his comrades were now about to bring the personalities outside. They have found as a whole 36 Autobot minds and were about to release them all and bring them outside.

All warriors who were part of this mission had reconfigured their subspace packages to transport the prisoners.

Nearly every Transformer today had at least on subspace storage that could be used to hold weapons or equipment. The mech could simply let it vanish and take it back out when it was needed.

Some robots were able to send their extra mass into subspace when they transformed. Now they had modified their subspace packages as a safe transport possibility for the personalities, to get them out of here. But every one of the could in the best case carry two personalities and it were not many left of them.

Of their original group, only Ultra Magnus, Red Alert, Getaway, Slapdash, Skids and Moonracer were still alive. They had the Aerialbots as help, but it would still be very tight in time.

Magnus thought, he and his strike group members could all subspace two personalities. That meant 12.

If they were careful they could carry two with their bare hands too, 12 more, so 24 as a whole

The Aerialbots didn´t have the modified subspace packages. They 5 could only carry them per hand, 10 more.

That makes 34 personalities they could bring out now. As much as they wanted, trying to carry more would be too dangerous and that meant someone had to go in a second time.

xxx

In the space over Cybertron Unicron had continued with his transformation.

xxx

"I will go", Red Alert shouted. Before anybody could react he had already transformed and was racing back into the building.

Ultra Magnus called him with his communicator.

"Red, answer me. What do you think you are doing? This building will be destroyed in a few minutes. Believe me I know it."

Ultra Magnus could hardly believe that Red Alert was doing this. He knew he couldn´t let him put his life at risk like that, but Magnus also remembered that Red Alert was one of the Autobots who were dead in his time.

"And what exactly would you have done different Magnus? Going in there yourself? Taking the same risk on you? Would that be any better?

I hate to tell it to you in that way, but I am faster than you in car-mode. I have a better chance than you. And you are important where you come from. The Autobots need you."

"Red you damn idiot", Ultra Magnus yelled into the communicator.

Red Alert had been one of the Autobots who had fallen in this battle. But nobody had ever told him exactly how, he realized. It had nearly been as if everybody had been avoiding that question. Magnus felt becoming weak. He feared he knew how this would end.

What should I do? He thought to himself.

"Hey I always thought that all the worst could happen to me. Looks as if I was right", Red Alert, the security officer who had always been known for his rampant paranoia, pointed out sarcastically.

"Good luck Red", Ultra Magnus said to him.

xxxxxxx

Unicron was now in robot mode, a figure whose dimensions compared to Cybertron itself. His arms and hand, that were larger than entire sectors, were moving. His metallic wings spread, that made him to out-shadowing even the planet itself. His eyes were glowing green.

Galvatron was still standing before this being, placed somewhere on his shoulder blades, looking directly in the face. Unicron spoke again. His voice was to hear in space all around him.

"For a time I considered sparing your wretched little planet Cybertron, but now you should witness it´s dismemberment."

Galvatron was still shocked, like never before in his two lives. But he was sure about one thing. He didn´t believe a word of that Unicron said. He did no longer thought for a second that this being, even for a moment, ever considered not attacking Cybertron.

Galvatron was only unconscious aware of the presence right next to him, about their broken connection, that were on some subconscious level still there, a presence that was having the same thoughts as him at that moment.

Unicron´s giant body started to move through space. He came into reach of Cybertron in only a few moments.

xxxxxxx

Red Alert had recovered the two remaining personalities from the cell blocks. Now he was racing to the outside. Magnus knew that this building would be destroyed, no wonder if he was really from the future. He was by now mostly willing to believe that. Of course something like absolute security didn´t even existed in Red Alert´s paranoid mind.

My life, my entire life I have always feared all the things that could happen if I was not on guard, he thought to himself. He had always made up the most terrifying scenarios in his mind.

And now he was here, in a Decepticon prison they had infiltrated, that was about to be crushed by a planet sized, hostile Transformer, something even he could have never imagined. And he went in here willingly.

He was silently laughing at this.

Red Alert was now closing up to the gate and he knew that the other Autobots were waiting for him outside. He did this because otherwise one of the others would have to. As he could already see the others behind the main gate, the sky was getting dark.

The other Autobots outside saw him coming and looked relieved.

For a short moment Ultra Magnus was hoping that maybe the past had changed.

Then someone shouted. Everybody was starring upwards now.

A monstrous robot, as large as Cybertron itself, was towering above them. In that moment the entire area was covered in shadows. The reason they saw a millisecond later. A giant hand came down from the sky.

Red Alert saw on one of the security monitors what was happening. The hand of the monster was coming down right on the building. He didn´t know if he could make it and he had the minds of two other Autobots with him. Red Alert transformed into robot mode. This made him even slower.

The others were seeing him from the outside. He was still several meters from the gate away as he transformed. Ultra Magnus realized that this would slow him down significantly. He didn´t know what Red was thinking. The other Autobots were screaming at him too, to get out of there.

Crushed by a planet sized robot while being in a Decepticon prison, Red Alert thought. Even he would have never thought about something like that, he said to himself with a bit of irony. Then he pulled the two personalities from subspace.

Ultra Magnus saw what Red Alert was doing. He couldn´t believe this. It was pure madness.

"Magnus", Red Alert screamed, "catch." He was throwing the personality components from a few dozen meters distance to the other Autobots. The stored minds were highly vulnerable. If they should fall down, they could easily break.

Ultra Magnus managed to catch one of the components. Right next to him he saw that Silverbolt had the other. Red Alert had done it, he had brought the last prisoners out.

But Magnus realized that he in that way became to slow to make it out in time.

"Red", he screamed at the doomed robot. The Autobots around him joined him in shouting. All they could do was watch.

Unicron´s hand moved with an incredible speed into the planet´s surface. Not only the prison building with Red Alert inside was completely crashed but also the whole area around it. The greatest part of the entire sector was devastated from one moment to the other.

Ultra Magnus and his team stood only a few dozen meters out of danger.

"Red Alert, he brought the prisoners out, but he himself…", Getaway said about what just happened.

"He knew that he wouldn´t make it, but he tried to save the others", Ultra Magnus stated.

"Silverbolt, Skydive transform, store the personality components inside you and then bring them to safety. Don´t try to engage anyone, just leave this star system", he ordered the two Aerialbots.

"We can not simply leave you alone", Silverbolt protested.

"You have your orders. We can deal with this situation as good without you." Meaning we are as outmatched with you as without, Magnus thought silently. But that way at least the prisoners will be safe.

Over them Unicron was already raising his hand again.

"We have no time to grieve. Autobots take cover and then try to defend yourself."

xxxxxxx

Several kilometers from them Cyclonus troop saw that had happened.

"Have you seen that?" Motormaster asked his teammates.

"That could have been us", Drag Strip said to the other Stunticons.

"Cyclonus had foreseen this", Breakdown pointed out, "if this guy hadn´t ordered the retreat we would be dead."

"We are dead either way. Look at this thing", Dead End pointed out. This Stunticon had always been pessimistic and fatalistic from his personality. He always expected the worst things and then surrendered himself to it. Now he was hanging emotionless in the air. He had always in his entire life been expecting the absolute worst and now he had got it.

"This was it. It is over. We are doomed." Dead End talked to himself.

Suddenly Breakdown´s fist slammed into his face.

"Move it", he called out, "you will not just lay down and die here, so get to the shuttles."

"Hurry up and bring that idiot along", Motormaster yelled at the others.

Many of them had complained about Cyclonus decision to retreat. They didn´t like it to leave the building and all the prisoners to the Autobots. Many of them had doubted the order and the new commander who gave it. But now a spontaneous cheer for Cyclonus erupted. Their new second in command had proven himself to be right.

"Galvatron must have failed", Sweep 1 stated to his partner.

"Yes, this is terrible", Sweep 2 answered him.

"We have to go back to the ship and that fast", Cyclonus pointed out.

xxxxxxx

In Decepticon headquarters Shockwave was standing before a problem like he had never faced it before.

He had always lived by the rules of logic. But planet eating monsters were not part of his concept of logic.

It was something he couldn´t deal with. The last week, since the planet named Unicron was first seen had not been easy for him. He preferred things to be possible to judge and in control. For four million years he had controlled the Decepticon forces and the war on Cybertron and he had always been competent in it. That were things he knew and could comprehend. As the killer planet appeared in this system Shockwave was glad that Galvatron and Cyclonus were dealing with the situation.

And now this planet had transformed into a robot, another thing he could barely even grasp.

Skywarp had always told him that the millions of years he had been here had changed him into a pale theoretician. He was aware that the seeker told him that to a great part to provoke him, but maybe he had been right. Shockwave had always been a creature of logic, still in the 4 million years he had been stuck here he seemed to have lost all his flexibility and ability to adapt to new situations.

Or maybe he was simply getting old. Yes, he thought, that was a logical conclusion.

He stood in the central of the headquarter and saw the attack of the super robot. Behind him were Reflector, a spy robot who had been part of Megatron´s Earth mission and two Decepticons with race car alt-mode who were helping him to run the control tower of Decepticon HQ.

Shockwave stared out of the window for a short while, before he finally gave the command.

"Decepticons, we are under attack, scramble."

At this words the Decepticons all over Cybertron who hadn´t left their positions yet, where getting out to defend the planet. Many of course had seen Unicron´s approach and had were already in the air, either to fight or to abandon their posts and flee.

Not everybody was willing to fight a enemy like Unicron.

xxxxxxx

Ultra Magnus team was fighting it´s way through a disaster area.

"We have to reach Roadbuster and the others", he shouted to his few remaining soldiers.

xxxxxxx

Cyclonus and the two Sweeps had just come back. While the Stunticons and the seekers headed for the Polyphex space-port, they returned directly to the flagship. The three had just entered the bridge.

"Get the ship ready to fight and attack", Cyclonus ordered.

"As you command", Scourge replied.

xxxxxxx

Roadbuster and his team were still fighting with the triple-changers, the five seekers and the prison guards of their sector.

They were holding themselves despite that they were completely outnumbered. But that didn´t mean much for their mission. They were meant to free the captives from the mind prison and they didn´t manage to come one step closer to that goal.

The prison complex was still kilometers away from them and here there was nobody who stopped the fighting.

The seekers were attacking them from the air while the most of their comrades were fighting them on close range in robot mode. Blitzwing and a few others had transformed into tanks and were shooting them from larger distance.

If that what Magnus said was true and Roadbuster didn´t doubt it for a moment, Unicron could attack any second now.

"Roadbuster, incoming message from Magnus team", Whirl told him. "They made it, they freed the prisoners and send Silverbolt and Skydive to bring them off planet", the one eyed Autobot called out.

A cheer went through their line as they heard this. Roadbuster felt a great relieve.

"Maybe we can still make it", he said.

In that moment he saw a monstrous hand coming down from the sky.

xxxxxxx

Shockwave could call and instruct the entire army from his control-tower. He could reach all troops, no matter if they are stationed on Cybertron or colony worlds. From here he could have organized the planet´s defense alone if he had wanted it.

Besides himself and Reflector, he still had two dozen guards on duty who were still in headquarters and could fight for him if needed.

But with all that he could do nothing right now. Unicron´s hand was coming down again and this time directly above the Decepticon base in Polyphex. Reflector and the rest looked at each other. They knew it was over.

Shockwave only watched out of the window.

This was the end of his duties, he thought, after over four million years.

In that moment Unicron´s hand reached Polyphex. The entire building with him, Reflector and the others inside was crunched beyond recognition, as was all that surrounded it. Not only Decepticon headquarters was caught but the entire sector.

All that in the same moment, while Shockwave´s control-tower was hit…

xxxxxxx

…the prison complex was completely destroyed.

"How many prisoners were inside there?" Impactor asked horrified.

"By our informations 37 Autobots", Roabuster answered him with a hollow voice.

The Decepticons, as they saw this coming, broke their lines and lifted off in the air. Nobody was firing anymore. Everybody could simply stare at what had just happened.

In the moment Unicron´s hand hit Polyphex, Decepticon headquarters and the polyphex mind prison were destroyed. But not only that, everything in tens of kilometers around them was obliterated in a single moment.

xxxxxxx

High above them the flagship of the Decepticons and all available seekers were engaging Unicron. They were landing a number of hits on him, these however were doing no visible damage and they were avoiding his attacks, at least for the moment.

Their fight took less that a minute. After the seekers flew several maneuvers on the planet devourer, four of them made the mistake of coming too close.

Unicron then did something they would have never expected. He just opened his mouth as they were coming close to his head and swallowed them in mid-flight.

He literally ate the four jets and crunched them between his metallic teeth.

Then he took a swing at the Decepticon battleship that was at that moment behind him and still covering him with fire. Unicron hit the ship square in the side.

xxx

"Incoming", the Sweep at the consoles screamed as he saw the blow coming. He still tried to avoid the hit and changed the course. That was it what saved the ship and it wasn´t hit with full force. It was however still strong enough to push the ship away over a great distance.

The force of the hit was still enough to threw it in a few seconds out of Cybertron´s orbit and into space. At the inside the ship was shaking and several Decepticons fell down. The most systems were disabled and the energy was offline.

Damaged and out of control, the ship drifted away from Cybertron and the battle.

xxx

Galvatron was still standing on Unicron´s shoulders. The entire exchange so far had not even taken more than two minutes. Desperation overcame him.

He wanted to help his fellow Decepticons, he wanted his freedom back, he wanted to defend Cybertron and he wanted Unicron dead.

In truth he didn´t believe any more that he would succeed in any of this, but he tried anyway. Galvatron transformed into his cannon mode and shot several times. Every single one of this blast was enough to reduce a Transformer to ashes.

On this opponent, it didn´t even leave a mark.

A moment later the monstrous robot gripped him precisely between two fingers, held him over his head and let him fall into his mouth.

Galvatron, damaged but still intact, fell into the Chaos Bringer´s insides.

xxxxxxx

In another part of the star system, the Decepticon flagship with Cyclonus and his followers inside was still floating helplessly through space.

The Sweeps had just managed to bring the emergency power back on-line. They realized that they were already far away from Cybertron.

"Scourge how long will it take to bring the ship back under control?" Cyclonus asked the Sweep leader.

"That is hard to say. The engines are damaged and the systems are completely out of our control", he answered.

xxxxxxx

At the same time two other ships were entering the star system of Cybertron. On board were the Autobot group led by Hotrod and their new allies, the Junkions.

They were approaching the planet to join the fight.

But suddenly Unicron was shooting burning plasma out of his mouth, another thing nobody would have anticipated him of even being capable of doing. It hit one of the ships, a captured cruiser of a race called the Quintessons.

Hotrod took over the controls of the ship that was already out of control and about to crash. He was aiming directly at their giant opponent.

To a part he did this because if he was going down, he would at least do it where he could do some damage to their enemy. Another part of him acted on pure instinct and this felt like something he should do.

It worked better than he could have hoped for. The ship crashed directly through Unicron´s eye. This was the first move that actually managed to damage him and at the same time Hotrod and his group, consisting of Kup, Springer, Arcee and Spike´s son Daniel had made it inside of Unicron´s body.

xxxxxxx

In a remote area of Cybertron, a sector mostly called 0017 and not so often by it´s name Taasas, was standing a old Decepticon fortress.

The soldiers here had not managed to follow Shockwave´s order and leave. This was one of the most unimportant outposts the Decepticons possessed on the planet. In the war with the Autobots this sector had not really been involved for millions of years and also otherwise had nothing really happened here for a similar long time.

And since they were not really important, they had only sparsely been informed by the Decepticon bureaucracy about anything what was going on. This included the crisis of the last week. Of course discipline and motivation had dropped next to zero after all this time of boredom and inactivity.

And so the order to swarm out had caught this base completely unprepared. The 20 Decepticons stationed here had barely believed it as they were called into battle. As they had finally gotten ready it was far too late.

Unicron decided to get a stand on the planet instead of floating in space, to fight better. As he placed his feet on the surface whole sectors were crushed.

To the bad luck of this fortress and it´s troops it was in one of this sectors.

They all died in a battle they knew barely anything about as one of Unicron´s feet crunched their base.

xxxxxxx

From the space-port in Polyphex, just outside of the range of destruction, Soundwave, his cassettes and the Constructicons were watching what was going on, together with the Stunticons who had just arrived.

Their group was standing in front of one of the few remaining shuttles that were not in the air yet.

"Scrapper, status of this location?" he asked the Constructicon leader.

The impact of the last strike had caused great damage and heavy tremors in the entire area. They needed to know if **anything** was still working.

"Energy supply off-line, communication systems down, automatic weapons not working", he replied.

"Understood", Soundwave said.

"In one word nothing is working", Hook told him. "We can not even contact the other bases. If there is still anything left of them."

"We have just seen how Galvatron and the headquarter had been taken out and the flagship had been blown out of orbit", Rumble pointed out. "If we are honest we have already lost."

"The situation is hopeless", Breakdown agreed. "We should better get out of here."

"Tactical situation unsolvable", Soundwave admitted. "Retreat is required."

"That means we board the shuttle and get away from here", Bonecrusher said.

"Yes."

"We have lost contact with the rest of the forces", Scrapper reminded them.

"They should be smart enough to retreat of their own", Motormaster replied.

xxxxxxx

Hotrod had been separated from his teammates as they fell inside Unicron.

As he had walked for only a few meters he noticed a glow before him.

He saw something in the dark corridor, something he would always recognize.

"The Matrix", he called out.

"It would do you no good Autobot, it can not be opened." A voice was to hear from the darkness. Hotrod knew it was Galvatron. The figure of the Decepticon appeared out of the shadows before him.

He recognized the young Autobot. It was the same he had his time-travel technology from and who had also shortly ago gotten involved in Megatron´s fight with Optimus Prime.

"Not by a Decepticon", Hotrod answered him.

The mind that was physically chained to Galvatron, but metaphysically even more separated from him than before, was desperate for a chance.

Technically Hotrod was right, Primus was thinking. The Matrix had been connected with Autobots for so long by now that it was very hard for any other being to built up a connection. But the Matrix was his lifeforce and on principle every living being could reach to it, if he allowed it. And the Decepticons were as much his creations as the Autobots.

In this case however the problem went deeper.

Allowing Galvatron to connect with the Matrix and open it would mean allowing Unicron, who was controlling Galvatron, a direct link to it too. That would practically open a gate for Unicron inside it, inside Primus essence itself.

And to risk that would a disaster a million times worse than the one they were facing now.

Primus knew that his and Unicron´s essences were attacking and destroying each other on the physical and non-physical, energetic plane. But should Unicron ever get direct access to his core he would be able to absorb it into his own.

His energy would double, Primus abilities would become his and Primus himself would perish.

His mind would probably continue to exist as a power and formless entity, trapped for all eternity inside Unicron´s being, while the Chaos Bringer would assimilate everything that he had once been and add it to his own powers.

By the definition of many of the races of the universe, Unicron would become god.


	12. Rodimus Prime

**Chapter 12**

Galvatron and Hotrod were still standing in opposite to each other. They both were quite unsure about their situation, but none of them would show it.

The Autobots were still his enemies, Galvatron thought. But Unicron was a threat to all of them.

Before the million´s years of war and countless times they tried to destroy each other, all that held the Decepticons and the Autobots apart were ideological differences.

But right now he wanted to see Unicron dead more than any Autobot, he decided. At least for now he was the enemy.

"Like it or not, we are allies now against a common foe", Galvatron said.

But in the moment he had spoken these words the pain ripped through his mind like earlier. This time however it was worse than ever before.

"Destroy him Galvatron now or you yourself self shall be obliterated." Unicron´s voice haled through the room.

Galvatron heard his words. He didn´t actually wanted to follow them. But did he have a choice?

The torture was still there and at last in his mind, even increasing.

Parallel to that, at the inside, something different happened. The strange feelings and characteristics he had since his reformation became stronger than ever before. Before he had managed to hold it at bay. Now the alien presence that had been invading his mind was gaining more and more ground.

Something in him was changing and something was slowly breaking. He was full of hate, even more that ever before and not all of it was his own. It was as if two beings where in his mind.

Galvatron and Galvatron, the Decepticon Unicron had created from Megatron´s remains and the one he wanted to create.

It had been too much. Everything he had tried had failed, everything.

He felt his resistance slipping, first a little, then completely. The small part of him who was asking himself why Unicron was fearing the young Autobot so much was simply tossed aside. In his agony he heard himself saying these words.

"Of course my master", and the pain stopped.

He looked around at the corridors, the walls, Unicon´s insides, his master.

For a moment everything around him looked strange, foreign. He looked as if he saw it the first time. Not because his surroundings had changed, but because he did.

For a moment Galvatron didn´t completely knew himself.

He was disoriented, not because he didn´t knew where he was, but because he wasn´t sure about the identity of the being that was looking through his eyes.

Deep inside his own self was slowly being replaced with someone else with the same name. What he felt was anger, at Unicron, at himself, at the young Autobot who was hiding instead to face him.

This anger mixed with with the foreign programing and took him over completely.

Unicron´s creation Galvatron, his agent of destruction, was now finally as good as complete.

Then his focus returned. He realized that the young robot was running away and he fired at him just before Hotrod vanished out of sight.

"Puny Autobot. You lack even Prime´s courage." Galvatron´s voice haled after him through the darkness.

xxxxxxx

Ironically both factions were now fighting side by side. The Decepticon flagship, that had already been blown out of the orbit at this point, seekers and shuttles, were fighting together with the ships the Autobots had brought in, Aerialbots, Dinobots, the Junkions and whatever of their units were able to fly and join the fight.

Both armies were disorganized and in panic. With his first strikes Unicron had destroyed the organization structure, their most important military assets and the communication lines of the Decepticons.

Their entire leadership was either dead or missing, Decepticon headquarters was destroyed and their flagship gone. A great part of their forces had already fled the planet and that for good reason. The ones who were still fighting belonged in first line to three categories, the most brave, the most fanatical and the most stupid or simply the ones who hadn´t the possibility to get away yet.

Whirl had transformed in helicopter mode and was now ascending into the air in a mixture of instinct and panic. He had always been a robot of action. If someone was attacking them, he fought back.

He was now flying over the devastated landscape of Polyphex. One look at the destruction was enough to make him want to get a shot at the monster. This time however his recklessness was his undoing.

Unicron fired laser blasts from his eyes that had a diameter of more than a kilometer. He had not even a chance to avoid the shot. The Autobot was vaporized in an instant.

Milliseconds later the blast hit another sector of Cybertron and started to dig itself into the planet. A group of a half dozen unlucky Decepticon ground troops who happened to still be in that area died then the entire place around them exploded.

xxx

In the orbit a patrol ship of the Decepticons was engaging Unicron and covering him with lasers and missiles. But like with the other defenders before, this efforts showed no great effect.

On the ground between that what had once been Polyphex Roadbuster´s group was standing and watching the space-ships and seekers trying to fight the giant off.

It had all happened so fast that neither they or the Decepticons they had been fighting had any chance to react. After Unicron´s attack had leveled the sector they had stopped shooting at each other. The Autobot and Decepticon teams were now sitting in different parts of Polyphex area, unsure and divided what to do.

Darkwing and Dreadwind had lifted off to fight this enemy from the sky, a far better choice from their view than staying on the ground where they would be sitting ducks.

The triple-changers and the coneheads, who had been joined by the seekers Slugslinger, Trigerhappy and Misfire, were currently on the ground, several miles away from the Autobots.

Thrust, Slugslinger and Blitzwing had been damaged in the fight with their opponents and were lying hidden between the rubble of the devastated area while their partners Ramjet and Triggerhappy were taking care of them. Others like Dirge and Misfire could only stare in the sky or at the destruction on the ground. They were like frozen and didn´t managed to move a limp.

The Decepticon vessel above them was a middle sized war-ship. Currently it had a crew of 11 men. With another shot from Unicron it was completely obliterated. The demise of the ship was also seen by the Transformers on the ground. Seeing this had somehow a effect on the Decepticon group.

"We have lost", Ramjet said, "we have to get away from here."

Astrotrain looked around. He may have never been the most fearless Decepticon, but they had fought for longer against this impossible enemy than he would have ever thought possible.

"Decepticons, this battle is over", he called out, "retreat." With that order, he transformed into shuttle mode. The others hesitated for only a moment.

Astrotrain was not their leader and had no more authority than any of them. If they wanted to follow that order was everybody´s own decision. But they all could see that it was hopeless.

They boarded Astrotrain´s shuttle form and he started. He flew close over the ground first and then left the atmosphere as he was on the opposite site of the planet to Unicron.

They escaped into space, away from the battle.

xxxxxxx

Hotrod was now running from the robot who had tried to ally himself with him only minutes ago. In the tunnels and beside the alien constructions inside of Unicron´s body were enough places to hide for some time.

The Decepticon leader originally didn´t want to fight him, he remembered, he wanted to team up with him and only attacked after Unicron had literally tortured him into doing it.

Maybe another try wouldn´t be in vain, he thought, maybe a alliance was still possible.

"Galvatron", he called out into the darkness, "I fought you wanted to ally yourself with me? As you said, against a common foe. You never wanted to fight me. Unicron is the one destroying our home-world."

Hotrod was answered by a shot that hit a bar only a few meters above his head.

"Sorry Autobot. But things had changed. You will die here." He heard the Decepticons voice in some distance.

His voice, Hotrod thought, it was as if something was wrong with it. He just knew it somehow.

"There is nothing you can do Autobot." He heard the words coming from the side. It was Unicron. The voice came from some sort of terminal on the wall at the side of the tunnel.

"I have created Galvatron from the remains of the one you knew as Megatron and since then I have been slowly influencing his mind. Now the process is nearly finished. He is now finally completely mine and you Autobot will die." Hotrod heard Unicron laughing and he realized that the monster knew where he was.

He got away from the terminal as fast as he could and got back into hiding.

xxxxxxx

The Autobots who were standing in the ruins of Polyphex had long realized that they couldn´t do anything. None of them was able to fly. Their enemy was simply to large and to far away from them to cause any sort of damage.

A few of them were injured and they were all out of energon. They were not in the position to make any sort of difference here. As much as they hated it, but against this foe they couldn´t do a thing. So they decided to take care for their wounded and make the best of their situation.

Roadbuster and Impactor were having a discussing about how to continue from here on.

"We can not just sit here and do nothing", the Wreckers leader called out.

"No, doing nothing is exactly all we can do", Roadbuster stated. "Have you forgotten that none of us can fly? We can not even reach that monster and even less fight him. Hell, we can not even run away."

All of them actually knew of course that he was right with his observation, but none of them really wanted to admit it.

In that moment they heard the discharge of a laser weapon and a explosion right next to them. One of Chromia´s femmes had been shot through the back.

On top of one of the ruins, in short distance, they saw three eccentric looking robots. All three of them were clearly cybertronians, but it was unclear if they were Autobots or Decepticons.

They were wearing strange masks that had a striking resemblance to Unicron and they all were heavily armed. The one on the left had a long range gun in his hands that was still smoking.

"It cannot be", Impactor said in shock, "that is impossible."

Everybody was starring at the newcomers for a few moments.

"Impactor?" Inferno asked incredulous, "do you know who this psychos are?"

"It is impossible, but by the way they look like this are members of the Brotherhood of Chaos." the wreckers leader answered him.

In that moment the three mechs started to fire.

"In the name of our master Unicron, kill them." They heard the one in the middle call out. The Autobots took cover and began to shoot back.

xxxxxxx

Ultra Magnus and the survivors of his team were on their way to a safer part of the planet. For that they had gone again into the underground of the planet, through the ramified sewers inside of Cybertron. From there they were trying to reach one of the sectors that were not under direct attack.

At the same time a group of refugees from the sudden attack, mostly empties and a few Decepticons who had lost their base got separated from their comrades and didn´t knew what to do anymore, were also trying to get to safer areas.

Due to a lucky coincidence, they were met by Magnus Autobots. He and the others decided to help the fleeing robots.

The four Decepticons, their nominate leader Flywheels, Battletrap, Gutcruncher and Krok, had in an unusual act of compassion picked up the empties and where now in reverse picked up by the Autobots. As they first met they had of course drawn their guns at each other. To their luck they all knew perfectly that fighting in their situation was very pointless and the leaders of both teams turned out to be quite sensible.

The group consisting of Autobots, Decepticons and homeless neutrals was now walking through the tunnels.

"Do you knew how long it will still take us to get there Magnus?" Flywheels asked the leader of the Autobot part of their group.

"From here it is about 2,5 breem", Ultra Magnus told him.

xxxxxxx

Hotrod knew that hiding wouldn´t help anything in the end. Sooner or later Galvatron would find him and then the planet would already be destroyed. He knew his only chance would be to wait for a chance to attack. And here it was.

"Come out Autobot. We all must die someday", Galvatron called into the corridors and for a moment the Decepticon leader had his back turned to him.

Hotrod knew he had to be fast, very fast, to even have the slightest chance against a fighter like this. He came out of his hiding place and shot at his opponent several times. Then he transformed into car mode and raced at the Decepticon in full speed. It all happened in the blink of an eye. Galvatron had not even the chance to fight back.

Hotrod rammed into his side and brought him off balance. Galvatron fell to his knees and sent two other blasts after the racing car that was already speeding away again. Hotrod then turned around, using one of the rounded structures in Unicron´s insides as a ramp and tried the same tactic again.

He wanted to take the chance to hit his opponent as long as he was off-guard. But this time he miscalculated. Galvatron was already back up again. He tried to grip the Autobot and Hotrod raced frontal into the larger Decepticon. So he got hold of him and forced him to transform.

Before the young Autobot had any chance to react, the Decepticon leader had his hands around his throat.

"Die Autobot", Galvatron hissed.

xxxxxxx

"The Brotherhood of Chaos", Inferno said in disbelieve, "that is impossible. Megatron had destroyed the cult millions years ago."

In the early years of the war the Brotherhood had used the fighting for their advantage. This robots worshiped the chaos and destruction and did everything to see it growing. They attacked facilities of both factions, assassinated officers and did everything to keep the war going on without any victor. That was until Megatron launched a great campaign against them to wipe the cult out completely.

It was thought that he had succeeded, until now.

"Obviously not rigorous enough by what we see here", Impactor responded.

Roadbuster was angry. It was that simple. He had already lost one of his team-mates and the 37 prisoners to the monster who was currently attacking Cybertron.

And now they had lost one of the female Autobots to three lunatic sectarians in iron masks. Then he saw that another warrior, Joyride, was shot in the shoulder.

"Autobots", Roadbuster ordered loud, "get them with everything you have."

He could see Impactor and Inferno smiling at his words before they sent even more shots over to their new enemies.

The chaos-minions themselves were now in the defense. They were now the ones who got damaged.

Inferno killed one of them with a precise shot in the spark chamber. But the other ones showed no sign of taking cover or even only the slightest sign of carefulness. So they went down under the combined fire of the Autobots.

Roadbuster hit the one in the middle three times into the head and upper chest before he fell down dead. The last one tried to draw his weapon again, but before he could Impactor shoot him his harpoon through his head.

xxxxxxx

Ultra Magnus, Flywheels and their followers had reached the surface level of Cybertron again. They were now back at the open air and out of the battle zone.

"Have you heard that?" Magnus suddenly asked. The sound came from a point close to them. For experienced soldiers like them it was unmistakable, blaster fire. The warriors were carefully approaching the place.

As they had arrived they saw the reason for the shots, something very strange. Before them they saw two transformers who were wearing masks resembling the monster that was attacking Cybertron. This robots were standing over the smoking corpses of two car-style Decepticons. The corpses looked as if they had been shot in the back.

Ultra Magnus knew what they were. He had been built in one of their abandoned temples.

"Who in the world are those guys?" Flywheels asked him angrily.

"Followers of the Brotherhood of Chaos", Magnus answered, "a vicious sect that was thought to be wiped out a long time ago. They are dangerous", he warned him.

"Damn, I thought this was over for us and now that", the Decepticon whispered angrily.

They heard the two bots talking.

"We have to continue," one of them said, "we have to find as many children of Primus as we can and kill them all, our master demands it."

"Okay", Ultra Magnus stated to Flywheels, "you take the one on the left and I the one on the right, go." Both of them took aim at one of the two masked robots and fired.

After a few shots the two sectarians were lying dead on the ground.

xxxxxxx

In the sky over Cybertron a handful of Autobots and a few remaining Decepticon seekers were still trying to defend the planet. It was long clear at this point however that attacks from the outside wouldn´t be any threat to Unicron.

One of this defenders was the battleship of the Junkions. Beside the Junkion crew were also the three Autobots Ultra Magnus, the version from this time, Perceptor and Blurr on board.

During the fight Unicron managed to grab the ship. He held it in his fist and was slowly crushing it. The crew members who were on the bridge and in the heck part of the ship was able to duck and survive even in the compromised room. Everybody who was in the mid sections however died a horrible death.

Then he threw the remains away so that they fell down to the planet, together with the survivors.

xxxxxxx

Hotrod was being pinned under Galvatron. The Decepticon´s hands were slowly crushing his throat and would soon destroy his metallic backbone. He had no chance.

He realized that he had failed, just like the time as he had tried to save Optimus. The last time his leader had died and now would he and then the entire planet Cybertron.

He had been the only one who had been able to stop it simply because he was the only one in reach of the Matrix.

Hotrod wouldn´t simply give up, he decided. He wasn´t willing to just lay down and die.

"First Optimus Prime", Galvatron said in a dark triumph.

The most basic characteristics of the Decepticon leader were still there, his lust to conquer, his anger and bitterness, even far more of it, awed by Unicron, his ambition, but twisted by what the Chaos Bringer and not he himself wanted.

Every compassion he ever had, every bit of mercy that existed however, were gone.

And also his ability to reason and to see that his actions here would only lead to Unicron´s victory, that this would only help him and nobody else.

In Galvatron´s mind right now only he and the Autobot next to him, the one he was about to kill, existed.

"Then Ultra Magnus", he continued, "and now you. It's a pity you Autobots die so easily or I might have a sense of satisfaction now."

In the moment Galvatron said those words however Hotrod´s hand was able to to reach the Matrix.

In the moment his fingers touched the object, the blue light radiating from it increased tenfold and in the same time the young Autobot felt a burst of energy floating into him like he never experienced it before.

He managed to break Galvatron´s hold and also the chains with that the Decepticon had connected the Matrix to him.

Hotrod was holding the sacred artifact in both of his hands now. He felt all it´s power and knowledge flowing through him.

The Matrix was connected with his body and his mind. He felt it´s energy merging with every part of his being and completely reconstructing him.

Hotrod felt how his form changed. He grew taller and much stronger.

And something else was happening, a voice filled the room.

"Arise Rodimus Prime." Both Transformers present would recognize it everywhere.

"Optimus", the just christened Rodimus Prime called out in awe.

Galvatron aimed his cannon at the Autobot and fired three times. The blast didn´t even wound the now fully energized new Prime, but they knocked the Matrix from his hands.

In response Rodimus addressed the Decepticon. He pointed his finger at him in a confident gesture.

"This is the end of the road Galvatron", he declared. Then he rushed forward and tackled the Decepticon leader.

It was now only a short struggle. Galvatron was surprised, damaged and confused and Rodimus had another advantage. Deep down his opponent didn´t want to win.

He gripped the Decepticon with both hands, lifted him up and through him right through the wall that was Unicron´s skin. Galvatron ripped right through the outer shell and flew into space.

From there he was flying out of orbit and away from Cybertron.

Rodimus took the Matrix back up. He felt it´s energy flowing again and he knew what he had to do. Even if he wouldn´t have known the legend, the Matrix told him what to do.

"Now light our darkest our", he said and with that he opened the Matrix outer shell.

It was now a glowing ball of energy, floating in Unicron´s insides and streaming it´s power to all sides.

The energy was eating itself through Unicron´s body and slowly destroying him from the inside.

Rodimus knew that they had won. All what was left now was for him and the other Autobots to get out of here.

xxxxxxx

Unicron screamed out in pain and anguish. Every Transformer in the system could see and hear it.

He lost hold of Cybertron and slowly started to drift away from the planet. Streams of blue light were breaking out of his body from several places.

"We have won", Ultra Magnus said relieved. "All as it should be", he whispered and smiled.

It had all played out, he thought, nothing had changed, we have won like we have before.

Unicron´s body was beginning to fall apart. A leg was blown off by an explosion. He ripped open the side of his own throat in a desperate attempt to remove the Matrix. But it was too late.

From the distance they saw how the new Autobot leader and the others were breaking out of Unicron´s remaining eye that was already weakened by the damage and jumped down to the planet.

They had truly won. For a short moment everybody on Cybertron sheered, the Autobots, the remaining Decepticons and the few existing neutrals.

"You should better leave now", he said to the four Cons next to him, "there are no Decepticon forces left on the planet."

"Getaway." Magnus looked at the Autobot next to him.

"We will let them go", he assured him.

Flywheels stepped for and offered Magnus his hand, who took it after a short moment of hesitation.

"It was a pleasure to work with you Magnus", the Decepticon said. Then he and his comrades lifted off and flew away, slowly leaving the atmosphere.

"It´s to bad there aren´t more Decepticons like him", Getaway stated.

"There are and so maybe we will have a chance of peace some day", Ultra Magnus told him.

A few more minutes passed. Everybody on the planet had to completely realize that had just happened.

Ultra Magnus group saw something, only a few hundred meters from them, a large glowing sphere of energy. The transwarp gate, Magnus remembered it.

"That is my way back", he informed the others. They all understood immediately what he meant.

"Take care Magnus", Skids said. Getaway also said a goodbye.

"We will see us in the future", Magnus told them. "You will found my past self anywhere here and the others. Rodimus Prime will start taking control of the planet and search for survivors. help him."

"Yes Sir", Getaway answered.

With that Ultra Magnus stepped inside the transwarp bubble and a few seconds later it was gone.

xxxxxxx

At the outskirts of the star system. The flagship of the Decepticons was still drifting and moving further and further away from Cybertron.

"Have you finally managed to get the ship back under control Scourge?" Cyclonus asked.

"We have nearly stabilized it, but it will take a long time before this ship will fly again", the Sweep leader informed him.

"We will regroup, we will assemble our forces again." Cyclonus made it clear, loud and for everyboy to hear and quieter he said,

"and I will find Galvatron."

xxxxxxx

Ultra Magnus stood again before Optimus and Perceptor.

"You are back old friend", the Autobot leader greeted him. He was clearly happy, but being Optimus Prime, he was of course a bit reserved.

"Good, then we can locate Hotrod now", Perceptor pointed out.

"Wait", Optimus said, "it is not at the time yet.

xxxxxxx

_Earth, in the year 1986_

A black armored robot with red eyes was standing at the peek of one of the middle sized mountains. From here he could see the Decepticon base in the distance of several kilometers.

He knew about the prisoner, Hotrod, Rodimus Prime, someone he had heard much about and was very eager to meet.

A black Myst, more a black form of energy, was leaving his body. Something that would have shown a spectator a small glimpse of his true nature.

The being was concentrating very hard. His mind reached out to the Autobot in a cell in the Decepticon base before him.

"Rodimus Prime", he called out, "can you hear me?"

And he was heard. It took some time before the Autobot answered. Understandable, considering what he was seeing right now.

"Who are you?" Hotrod wanted to know.

"You can call me Cabal", it said.


	13. Gagestown

**Chapter 13**

_At the coast of Oregon, in the year 1986_

Gagestown was a middle sized American town at the coast of the pacific ocean. It was, in first line thanks to it´s practical location, a regional industrial center with branch stores of a number of larger companies. This was the base of most of the infrastructure of the town.

At first it seemed to going to be a normal day, until the attack happened.

A large group of Decepticons came in, flying.

Megatron landed on top of one of the larger buildings close to the harbor. Soundwave arrived a moment later and took place right next to him. Behind them were the seekers Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker.

"This is the ideal place Soundwave", the Decepticon leader pointed out.

"The necessary materials are here Megatron", the communication specialist confirmed.

After examining the device they had gotten from the captured Autobot with the name Hotrod, Megatron had started to realize his new plan, one that would hopefully not only help him to win the war, but give him more power when even he would have ever hoped for.

The area below the Decepticons was crowded with humans. Some of them panicked as they saw the giant robots, others seemed to be confused, the rest of the people were still in their homes or vehicles and hadn´t even realized the appearance of the Decepticons yet.

Megatron saw the crowd on the ground before him with slight annoyance. Many of the humans were running away. Had they been Transformers or comparable creatures he would view this simply as cowardice and don´t show any sympathy for this behavior. Organics like the humans on the other hand, especially civilians like this, had no chance against the Decepticons and he understood perfectly that it as completely sensible for them to flee. But some of them were just standing around and looking horrified, others seemed completely apathetic, as if they wouldn´t even realize what was going on before their eyes and a few seemed actually to be curious about the arrival of the Transformers. Some of them, in their state of fear, didn´t even seemed able to decide if they should run away or not, too useless and pathetic to even move a limb.

Megatron was disgusted. How could somebody be too cowardly to save his own life? The Decepticon leader couldn´t understand it.

He decided however to show this creatures mercy, his mercy.

He charged his fusion gun and was searching for the right object.

A moment later he took aim.

On a highway bridge relative close to the Decepticons were about a dozen people standing and starring at the robots. Still they made no attempt to leave and bring themselves to safety. A pile-up of a number of cars had formed there, since they had simply let their vehicles stand on the middle of the road.

It was hit by Megatron´s blast. The bridge along with the people and everything around them was reduced to it´s particles. All of the humans present were starring at the explosion now. For the moment, the panic was replaced with frozen silence.

Then the Decepticon leader raised his voice.

"Humans, this is Megatron. We, the Decepticons, claim this area for ourselves", he spoke loudly. "You have 30 of your minutes to leave."

It still took everybody a few seconds to register what he had just said. As the words finally dropped in the confusion was over. The people were now trying to bring themselves to safety in wild panic.

"You are giving the human a chance to escape?" Thundercracker asked his leader.

Megatron looked at his subordinate. He had given the humans time, that was true. He had his reasons. If he was honest, he didn´t understood himself why he didn´t simply destroyed them all. He could have. But instead he had decided to initiate this. Of course he would never admit that he wasn´t completely sure about something.

It was all in his own philosophy. He had given them the possibility, the mercy they deserved.

"Yes", he simply stated to Thundercracker, "every creature at least deserves the chance to fight for their lives, so I decided to give them three breem time."

"Approach insecure", Soundwave stated, "in 30 minutes the Autobots will already have arrived.

Megatron only laughed at this thought.

"We were planning from the beginning to engage them, have you forgotten that Soundwave?" He reminded his communication officer. "Our troops were hungry for a bit of entertainment my friend and now we are providing them with it. While the others are keeping the Autobots busy, we are getting our raw materials here. It will all go as planned", he explained.

"Why are you giving them time anyway?" Starscream pointed out. "We could just as easily destroy them all."

Megatron didn´t answer.

"What if when there are still humans left when the time is up?" Thundercracker asked carefully.

"If someone is stupid enough to be still there when the time is over, they don´t deserve to survive anyway", Megatron replied.

xxxxxxx

Hundreds of miles away the Autobot Hound was on one of his trips through the landscapes of the planet Earth. Since he came first here he loved this world and he didn´t try to hide it. It was beautiful and fascinating to him and different from the war ridden Cybertron.

For this time Hound had taken the human teenager Spike and his girlfriend Carly with him. Spike had been, along with his father Sparkplug, the first human the Autobots had encountered and he became a close friend to them.

In the beginning the two had been something like scouts and guides to them. They had explained the environment and the customs of the society to them, the things you can´t really learn from books or computers.

It was a warm and sunny day. Hound was driving in jeep form with the two humans in the seats over the roads in the forests. This was the way he liked to spend his time.

"Maybe we should do this more often. What do you think?" he asked his passengers.

"You say it Hound", Spike replied. "How about you take us the next time around as well?"

Suddenly his communicator went active.

"Hound, do you hear me?" It was Wheeljack calling him.

Typical, he thought, when he was on a trip of course something just had to happen.

"Yes I am here", he answered. "What is it?"

"The Decepticons are attacking a town relatively close to you", Wheeljack told him. "I fear you will have to return to duty."

xxxxxxx

_Gagestown_

The Decepticons saw a group of five human fighter jets coming in. This meant the US-military was reacting.

"Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, destroy them", Megatron ordered.

The three seekers transformed into their jet-modes and engaged the Earth fighters.

Skywarp teleported directly behind two of them and fired his lasers. One of the jets exploded, the other was barely able to avoid the shots. Starscream and Thundercracker were at the same time attacking them from the front.

Despite that their alt-modes looked identical to the Earth jets, the seekers were technically superior, much faster, better shielded and had far more firepower. The outer form of the Decepticon fliers was nothing but camouflage. Too that came that they were far more experienced when a human could ever be.

The human pilots had no chance. Starscream and Thundercracker both easily blew up one of the remaining jets and one of the others was shot down by Skywarp. Here the pilot was able to eject and saved himself with the parachute. The last one was shot by Starscream. This time however the remains of the jet crashed into one of the town´s buildings and set it into flames.

xxxxxxx

_Decepticon base in the Rocky-Mountains_

Hotrod was still in his cell and waiting for Megatron´s return. The Decepticon leader left for a mission some time ago, together with the most of his troops. He had been left behind.

It was obvious that Megatron had a plan, a plan that was connected with the time machine that he had found in the mysterious pyramid. Which meant that his presence was the reason for it. He had to get out of here quick and he needed to get the device out of the hands of the Decepticons and return to his time.

Hotrod hesitated for a moment. He thought that he had heard something. Then it became more clear. Yes, he was **definitely** hearing something.

Somebody was calling his name. Not his creation name, but Rodimus Prime, the name that was given to him by the Matrix.

"Rodimus Prime", the voice spoke to him again. "Can you hear me?" it asked.

While it said whose words something seemed to be appearing before the Autobot. His optics registered something, but it didn´t seemed to have any matter. It was as far as Hotrod could tell a cloud of energy that was floating a few meters before him in the air.

This being however was obviously sentient and it was speaking to him. It wasn´t the first life-form consisting of energy that the Autobots had encountered, by far not. The only questions were, who was this, what was it doing here and could it help him?

"Who are you?" Hotrod wanted to know.

"You can call me Cabal", it answered. "I am, how you would describe it, a intelligence of living energy", the being explained to him. "I have observed you for some time now Autobot and I know about the machine that brought you here. You came from the future by accident", the voice told him.

"How do you know that?" the imprisoned Autobot asked.

"I don't see time in exactly the same way as other creatures. Disturbances are something I can feel. That is the way I found you", it said to him, without exactly telling what it meant by that.

"I can help you", the voice promised. "I am powerful, very powerful. Soon you will understand this. You shouldn´t be here. I will help you to get free and to return to your time and I can help you to fix possible damage to the time-line."

"You would do that?" Hotrod asked. "I don´t even know anything about you."

"You will soon", Cabal promised him in an encouraging tone. "I have encountered your species before. I know your kind and what you are capable of. Believe me, a alliance would help both of us."

"Alliance? What do you mean with that?" Hotrod was surprised.

"I was separated from my home too. I know how you feel. For that reason I will do everything to bring you back."

As he said those words a part of the energy cloud that for a moment looked like a hand moved in his direction. Then a flash of lightning hit the Autobot and the energon cuffs fell deactivated from his arms.

Hotrod couldn´t help but be impressed.

"Thank you", he said truthfully. For a moment he felt true empathy with this creature who claimed to be in the same situation as him.

"It doesn´t have to end here", the being called Cabal stated. "When you have returned to your time I can help you to protect your people from their enemies. You could keep the Decepticons in line and remove the threat of the Quintessons forever."

That revelation stunned Hotrod. It was true, he could really understand the situation of this Cabal, but he still felt strange about all this.

"You would return with me to the future?" he asked the energy being.

"Your time is as good for me as this one, until I can finally return home." he explained.

"Till then I can help you to keep Cybertron safe, become the great leader you were always meant to be. You are Optimus chosen successor. For a short time you have already been leader and reached more than he had ever hoped. You can be far more powerful then he had ever been", the mysterious life-form promised to him.

As the last words were spoken, Hotrod had finally made up his mind. He had an uneasy feeling about this situation from the beginning.

How did this stranger knew so much about him and the other Autobots?

And how long had he already been watching them?

Something was wrong about this entire situation, he knew it.

"And what do you want from me as part of this alliance?" Hotrod asked suspicious.

xxxxxxx

_Gagestown_

The time was over.

"Constructicons", Megatron called out.

At his order the six Decepticon engineers flew down and started to take one of the buildings apart.

"Soundwave, Astrotrain prepare the energon-cubes", he ordered.

The entire point of this attack had been to acquire raw materials and energon for the realization of Megatron´s new project, something he had found in the databanks of the small time-machine.

xxxxxxx

At the borders of the city, the Autobots were already fighting the rest of Megatron´s warriors. The Combaticons, Blitzwing and the conehead seekers were holding the Autobots off.

In opposition to them stood currently the Protectobot team and the Dinobots. It was clear from the start that they wouldn´t be able to stop the entire Autobot team forever, but that wasn´t necessary either. It would be enough to slow them down until the others would have gotten away with the material.

The Autobots had to operate with special caution to not hit the town that was right behind the Decepticons, exactly like they had speculated.

"This is exactly the kind of action Megatron had promised to us, right Vortex?" Brawl, a Decepticon who lived in first line for fighting and mayhem, called out.

"Yes. But slowly it´s getting time to get serious." Vortex, the Combaticon´s helicopter answered him.

"Combaticons, form Bruticus." The order from their leader Onslaught finally came.

They transformed into their combined form and became the gestalt robot Bruticus. Parallel to them the Protectobots did the same thing and formed Defensor.

"Two gestalts are now fighting each other. But with the assistance of the Dinobots it is safe to say that our fighters will win the fight after a reasonable time", Prowl analyzed the situation.

Optimus Prime, together with a small group of Autobots consisting of Prowl, Ironhide, Jazz, Wheeljack, Mirage and the newly arrived Hound were about to bypass the defense ring of the Decepticons while Defensor and Bruticus were fighting.

They had a good chance to break through when the gestalt was distracted.

xxxxxxx

_Decepticon base_

Hotrod had finally asked the mysterious Cabal what exactly he wanted. He had heard enough and wanted to know the intentions of this "potential ally".

"You want to know what I want in return for my help Autobot?" the energy being asked.

"All I want is to get back home", he stated.

"How?" Hotrod asked again. His question was followed by a short moment of silence, as if the living energy was insecure what to say.

"What I need to return to my world is the time-travel device." Cabal answered finally.

So that was what he wanted, Hotrod thought.

"You need the time-machine that is hidden in this base?" He asked.

"No", Cabal answered, "I need the large exemplar, the one you have seen in the future."

"The pyramid, it is a time-machine too? The entire object? It is the counterpart of the small device", Hotrod realized in surprise.

"It is far more then that, a machine that can influence time and space. It is the way how I can go back to the world I came from", Cabal explained to him.

Hotrod knew something wasn´t right. Something wasn´t making sense.

"How do you know all this, unless you have been in the future too?" he asked angrily. "If you know about the pyramid you had to have been there."

"I know about the future. Unlike your kind, I am not completely bound by time and space", Cabel replied.

"Then why do you need a time machine?" Hotrod wanted to know. More and more he got the feeling that this creature was hiding something from him.

"I can not give you access to the device", he answered. "It is too dangerous. That this here has happened proofs it."

Think about it. I will guide you out of here. Do you think the small trick with the shackles was everything I can do?"

At his words the door of the prison cell short circuit and opened. The guards outside, Hotrod recognized them as the Stunticons Wildrider and Dragstrip, jumped up and draw their guns. But before they could fire they were knocked out by a strong wave of energy that Cabal threw at them.

"Do you see what I am truly capable of? I can easily destroy every Decepticon in this base. This was only a small bit of my power. I can help you to generate more energy than you can imagine and Cybertron will be safe forever. With me you can become the most powerful Autobot leader in history. You could destroy the Decepticons forever or you could make them your allies and reunite the Transformers. With my help both is possible.

The Quintessons, you could make them pay for all their crimes. Remember how they had changed your role model into a mindless zombie, a tool to destroy all the other Autobots. They had enslaved your kind millions of years ago and are trying to do it again. Illegal weapon trade, slavery, war, manipulation, they have ruined entire worlds", Cabal reminded him of all of that.

"Enough", Hotrod screamed, "I won´t help you. Do you understand? I don´t know what your true plans are but I know that you are certainly not trying to help anybody. What are you hiding?"

As answer haled only a laughing trough the room. Out of the energy cloud, a face was now forming. Two deep red eyes appeared that looked directly at Hotrod.

"Too bad Autobot", Cabal said loud and rousing. "When not with you, then I will have to go on without you. You would have been a very useful ally, but I don´t need you to continue my plans. Some day you and the other Autobots will understand the true terror of the things that will be coming", he announced.

Then the energy cloud vanished from Hotrod´s sight.

xxxxxxx

_Gagestown_

Everything went so far as planned. Megatron was satisfied. They had what they wanted. The Constructicons and the seekers had just finished loading the energon and the material in Astrotrain´s shuttle-mode.

"Astrotrain", Starscream informed the triple-changer, "you can start now."

The Constructicons were still on board. Megatron wanted them to bring the cargo back to the base and from there to a secret building place from where his plan would be realized. The shuttle lifted of into the sky and was soon out of sight.

"Megatron." The Decepticon leader heard someone calling him.

"Optimus, as I see you have made it behind my defense ring", he said. "I fear you come too late Prime. We have already reached what we wanted."


	14. Destruction

**Chapter 14**

_Gagestown, Oregon_

Optimus Prime and Megatron were stuck in close hand to hand combat. They were currently fighting in a park in the center of the city. A small group of Autobots had managed to infiltrate the town that was under siege by the Decepticons. To their bad luck their enemies had already reached what they wanted.

The fight had actually become senseless. But at that point the Autobots and Decepticons in the town were already shooting at each other. The warriors of both sides were so deepened into their fights that they didn´t have their senses on other things.

Both Optimus Prime and Megatron knew all too good, that it was nearly impossible to stop an already on-going fight. Megatron would say the only safe solution was a shot in the spark chamber.

It was also a question of common sense. In the moment you stop fighting you risk to getting shot by your enemy.

At first Megatron had wanted a short fight with the Autobots, to give his troops some entertainment and to keep their opponents occupied. But that was already taking too long. And a major clash with Optimus and his elite troops had he certainly not wanted. It could simply go too much wrong.

So the two commanders were fighting a duel, some of their troops were targeting each other in the city and some were still outside the town.

This of course endangered the citizens. It was a disaster waiting to happen.

And that, despite nobody really had a reason to continue the battle after this point, it was continuing. That was the tragic of the situation.

It was by far not the first situation like that in this war and would certainly not be the last.

Since Optimus and Megatron were in a close fight they used short range weapons instead of their blasters. Megatron was wielding a lightsaber while the Autobot leader had transformed his hand into a battle axe, similar to their duel at the Sherman-Dam over two years ago. Missed strikes of both of them caused damage to the buildings around them. Optimus was careful not to do too much destruction, but he still had to put up a fight. He knew he couldn´t hold back against a foe like Megatron.

The rest of the Autobots and Decepticons were stuck in their own individual struggles. Prowl was fighting Starscream who was trying to attack him from the air. Mirage was engaged with Skywarp whose heat seeking missiles proofed to be a great threat to the invisible Autobot.

Hound had created a number of holographic clones of himself to confuse the Decepticons, Soundwave however, with his highly developed sonic transceivers, was able to identify the real Autobot and attacked him.

The fighting had been going on for some time now, without a side gaining a clear advantage.

Then after a few minutes Megatron was able to land a hit with his lightsaber. He slashed clean through the armor of Optimus shoulder. The Autobot leader was on the disadvantage now and began to draw back. He was quickly getting in the defensive.

Megatron lifted his weapon, hoping to land another hit on his enemy, as he was suddenly stopped in his movement.

A Autobot, one he recognized all too well, had seemingly appeared out of thin air and was blocking his sword with a battle staff. He remembered the robot who had foiled his entire Kalis project by informing Prime about his plans.

Optimus too was more than surprised. "Cronus", he exclaimed.

"It is good to see you Optimus Prime", the Autobot said.

Cronus was one of the lost ones. Nobody from Cybertron thought that they would ever see him again.

"You have left Cybertron millions of years ago. How did you came here?" Optimus asked incredulous.

"Something has occurred Prime, something that forced me to return."

Over them the seeker Thrust was hit by a blast and was about to to crash.

"By the way, I brought somebody with me", the mech told him.

As the two leaders turned around they saw Elita One standing a few hundred meters from them. Prime was more than happy to see his companion again, he only wished it had been under better circumstances.

The female commander had shot one of the Decepticon jets down and was now helping the others to confront Megatron. Both of them had entered the town while everyone else were involved into their respective fights.

Cronus was, thanks to his special ability, able to reach the city core without any notice and Elita had joined the Autobots at the border and was fighting her way into the center.

With the reinforcement for the Autobots and the Decepticons who had already been taken out of the fight, the balance was shifting in their favor. Elita and the fighters she had teamed up with had already severely damaged a few of Megatron´s men.

Bruticus was being cornered by Defensor and the Dinobots. The only reason the two Autobot groups had not taken the gestalt out yet was that they were holding back to protect the town.

Actually Optimus was impressed how disciplined the Dinobots acted in this particular situation. Despite their wild nature they did everything to keep the human settlement intact.

Megatron was slowly losing hold of himself. First the Autobot who had once ruined one of his most important plans had reappeared out of nowhere and now Prime´s mate on top of that. He had the situation under control until this two showed up. But now things were sliding out of his hands.

And he wasn´t someone who just let the things roll all over him.

In fact he was someone who took charge of the situation and formed his environment into what he wanted it to be, at least at the most times.

Admittedly, since they had landed on Earth things had seldom actually been under his control. Many of his plans had gone wrong till now.

But the Kalis project, his failed attempt to transform Cybertron into a giant space ship that ended with the planet being thrown out of it´s orbit, was one of his most important missions of all times. Millions of years back, it had been his personal dream.

And he hated to be reminded of this particular disaster.

He was angry, very angry. Megatron raised his fusion gun and fired at Optimus.

Prime could barely dodge the shot. The missed blast however completely leveled a house close to them. Luckily nobody was hurt because all humans had already left this part of the city, something that was ironically Megatron to thank for.

He wanted to shoot a second time, but before he could, Cronus had dis- and reappeared right beside him and sliced his arm with his staff. The dangerous energon-blade at the end cut the metal open and caused a sharp pain. At the same time it ruined his aim and the blast went harmlessly in the air. With a second move, the Autobot tore his weapon over Megatron´s breast plate what brought him off balance.

Elita had seen this and was already taking aim at the Decepticon leader and shot him three times. The lasers hit his chest area and burned a hole into it.

Even Megatron´s, admittedly already damaged, armor couldn´t take three blasts from a high level Autobot without receiving significant damage.

He went to his knees. Optimus already had his gun drawn. He was standing a short distance before him.

"No", Megatron whispered, "not like that, not like that."

Not in this miserable way, he thought. It was supposed to be him against Optimus. He should been fighting the Autobot leader, not go down against others who had suddenly gotten involved. If he died, it should have been him against Prime. Then yes, every ruthless tactic, every dirty trick would have been acceptable.

But not like this. He had been robbed of his fight with Optimus, he hadn´t been defeated in a fight, he was simply getting murdered against three opponents.

This were three of the strongest Autobots, even he could not hope to fight all of them at once.

He was already beaten, Megatron knew this, too damaged. He couldn´t even hope to fight Optimus alone in this state and now he was outnumbered three to one. Against other opponents he could have done it, but not against this three.

But he, Megatron wouldn´t just go down and die.

He managed to stand up again and attacked the Autobots. It was an act of pure desperation, ultimately senseless, this was completely clear to everybody.

But he had to.

Optimus balled both his fists and hit the Decepticon leader. Megatron was slammed to the ground close to the next buildings.

xxxxxxx

_Decepticon base_

A few Decepticons were sitting on a transformer sized table and were playing a cybertronian form of card game. The Stunticons and two of Soundwave´s cassettes were left behind to protect the base and guard the prisoner.

While Wildrider and Dragstrip were watching Hotrod´s cell, the rest of them were currently without a actual occupation for their time.

In short words the warriors who Megatron had left behind were bored out of their minds. So they were trying to spend their time somehow. While the Stunticons were sitting on Transformer sized chairs around the table, the small cassettes, who were far too small for them, were simply sitting on the desk.

"You are." The Stunticon Breakdown reminded one of the cassette-robots.

"Why had Megatron of all Decepticons to leave us behind?" Frenzy complained.

"Why d´you ask me?" Rumble replied in his typical manner.

"Because you both are two annoying little runts with big mouths", Motormaster fell in, "that´s why and now go on with the game."

"Overloaded jerk", Rumble growled under his breath.

"We should just accept our fate", Dead End said to the others, "and that is boredom", he added ironically.

"What is this Dead End, your attempt at humor?" Motormaster addressed his team-mate. "I just wish something would happen", he exclaimed.

Breakdown suddenly ripped his eyes open and looked with an open mouth into the room. The Stunticon leader was about to make a comment about his other team member too. Honestly, one was a complete fatalist nut-job and the other was paranoid like hell. Sometimes he thought he was the only normal mechanoid in the team.

After a few moments he realized that everybody had started to stare at the wall behind him. As he turned around he saw right behind him two large red eyes hanging in the air. They looked as if they belonged to a invisible face, floating in the room.

"What the pit", Motormaster cried out.

A moment later a energy shock was sent through their systems, all five Decepticons fell unconscious.

The way was free now. Hotrod didn´t have any problems to get out of the base. All he needed to do was walk right over the inactive Decepticons.

After a few minutes he reached the mountain-side at the outside. He was fee now, at least for the moment, but he still wasn´t very fond of the situation.

It wasn´t very hard to figure out who had helped him escape.

"I know you are here", he called out, "show yourself."

Like the times before Cabal´s face appeared in the air.

"Why did you help me to flee?" Hotrod wanted to know. "I know that it wasn´t for my sake."

The creature answered him. "I have my own plans Autobot and that you being free is a part of them."

"I understand", Hotrod growled.

A moment later the face before him disappeared without another word.

Cabal, who and whatever he was, wasn´t on his side or the one of any other Transformer. He didn´t want to play along in his plans, but he couldn´t just go back to his cell either.

He couldn´t let the time-machine in the hands of the Decepticons. Hotrod knew he had to do something, no matter what this creature was planning.

There was only one thing he **could** do right now. He needed to get the device back from the Decepticons and he had to hope that this wouldn´t play this "Cabal" right into his hands.

But how? He didn´t knew where Megatron had stored it. It could be everywhere in the base or in any other place. He would never find it before the other Decepticons returned.

Or for all he knew Megatron could carry it around with him.

Hotrod knew there was only one thing he could do.

xxxxxxx

_Gagestown_

Megatron was defeated, there was no doubt about it anymore. He was lying on the ground as Optimus Prime, Elita and Cronus were standing around him.

They had won.

Megatron was heavily damaged, a number of the other Decepticons was already out of the fight and the rest were hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned.

They had won this battle or at least they thought so.

xxx

There was also another who had seen what had happened. Starscream watched from the sky as the two Autobots had helped Prime and brought Megatron down and he couldn´t be happier.

xxx

Megatron was trying to support himself with his arms to lift his body up, but the damage was too great for him to stand.

Optimus had still his gun in his hand.

Cronus stepped at his side.

"That is it Optimus. This is your chance, kill him."

Optimus realized that he hesitated. The other Autobot urged him to do it. In some sense it wasn´t fair. He hadn´t even defeated Megatron himself.

But he knew exactly what kind of a threat Megatron was for them. This was war and war wasn´t fair. But something in him held him back.

xxx

Someone else also saw this a chance for himself now.

"Decepticons, Megatron has been disabled. I am taking command" Starscream announced to the others. "Soundwave, Skywarp, Thundercracker, do you hear me? he asked.

xxx

"Optimus, you have to kill him. You can not capture him alive, we are surrounded by civilians and Decepticons who would try to free him. We would never get him out of this town without causing a massacre, you know that.

You will maybe never get this chance again, you must destroy Megatron now, as long as you can."

Optimus Prime saw his enemy on the ground, attacked and wounded by multiple foes. He had been outnumbered without a real chance and now he laid helpless in the ground.

How could he kill him now?

All this thoughts came to him in only a few seconds.

xxx

Starscream wasn´t able to reach the most of the others or they simply didn´t want to answer. That wouldn´t surprise him, especially with Soundwave and his trine-mates.

Not one of these three respected him or his position. Well, he would show it to them soon enough.

It didn´t matter right now. He **had** reached who he truly wanted.

Starscream was flying in jet-mode next to the Combaticon gestalt.

"Bruticus come with me", he called out. He flew as a jet in shoulder height past the combiner robot.

In this moment he gave the order to the entire group.

"Decepticons, hear me. I want you to destroy this city. Do you hear me? Open fire with all you have and eradicate it from this world."

xxx

Optimus gripped his weapon again.

Every fiber in him wanted to show mercy, but no, Cronus was right.

They were fighting a war. Sparring Megatron would only mean endangering more lives.

Another small part of him wanted to defeat him alone and all by himself.

But that wasn´t important right now either. He would do what he had to do, even when he hated it.

"Optimus", Elita quietly called out a single word, his name. She didn´t seemed happy about the situation, but she also knew it.

Even Megatron knew. He saw his old opponent in the eyes. They both knew what was going to happen.

"Yes Optimus, do it", Cronus said. He was behind him and the Decepticon.

Optimus still felt terrible about killing a defenseless being, but he knew it was for the best.

While Optimus aimed his weapon at the Decepticon Cronus draw his staff behind his back, ready to strike.

Then they were suddenly all caught in a storm of shrapnel and fire. Optimus and Cronus were both knocked down by a explosion close to them. Elita was still standing, but she barely saw anything.

They realized what was going on. The Decepticons were bombing the city.

Till that point the fighting had caused only minor damage since the most Transformers had been fighting outside the town. But now this changed drastically.

xxxxxxx

Bruticus was attacking the town from the distance with all his firepower, every building that was hit by his blasts was completely annihilated and reduced to ashes.

Entire blocks were wiped out under the assault of the gestalt.

Starscream flew over the city. He fired his missiles. Several houses exploded or were set on fire.

The town was turned into an inferno in only a few seconds, houses, streets and people were blown apart by the explosions.

The fighting was ended instantly, some robots were caught in the line of fire, others were shocked and hesitated, nobody was fighting anymore.

The battle was ended by Starscream´s attack and replaced by a massacre.

xxxxxxx

Optimus and Cronus had been thrown from their feet. They were barely missed by some pieces of rubble that were flying through the air.

The place around the was caught in a firestorm. They had lost sight of Megatron and could barely make out each other.

"We have to get out of here", Optimus ordered, "and try to get as many humans out as you can."

xxxxxxx

"Carly do you see that?" Spike asked his girlfriend in shock.

The two humans had been left by the Autobots in a safe distance to the town. From there they had seen what had happened.

"My god!" Carly called out.

Both of them had seen a lot of Decepticon attacks in the last years, but nothing that came even close to this.

xxxxxxx

The Decepticons Soundwave, Skywarp and Ramjet were flying over the city. This situation had gone completely out of control since Starscream had taken over.

None of the was really surprised by this.

"Megatron is down there", Soundwave said in his typical monotone voice.

They had been trying to locate their leader in the chaos and bring him out of there. The three Cons descended down to the place where Optimus group had been only minutes ago.

Soundwave found the damaged body of his leader. The Autobots had been separated from him, obviously by the explosions. One of the rare good points of this mess.

"Megatron", he spoke to him. This time his digital voice somehow managed to sound actually concerned, nearly.

He was barely conscious, but unable to move by his own. Soundwave lifted him up and carried him while his two seeker companions covered them from possible enemies.

They flew off and brought Megatron and of course themselves out of the fighting zone.

xxxxxxx

The city Gagestown was now only a sea of flames and debris.

Starscream knew that a few Transformers were still inside the town. He changed back into robot mode and landed on Bruticus shoulder.

"Very good, we simply destroy it all. With some luck we will get a few of the Autobots too", he called out,

"and hopefully Megatron" he said quietly.

In that moment Bruticus was being tackled from the side. Starscream was caught off balance and thrown off.

Defensor and the Dinobots had reacted and were trying to stop the Decepticon combiner. It took them less than a minute, but with the firepower the Decepticons possessed it was far too late.

The Protectobot gestalt tackled the other super-robot hard and simultaneity the Dinobots combined their fire on Bruticus.

"Defensor, grab him from behind" Grimlock yelled. "Dinobots attack."

At this, Sludge, Snarl and Slag slammed with full speed into the combiner and threw him from his feet. They were closely followed by Grimlock himself who assaulted Bruticus with teeth and claws.

Starscream was now floating beside the fighting robots. Even he realized that Bruticus was loosing and there was not much to win for his side anymore.

And besides, now that Megatron was, at least temporary, out of the way, it was the ideal chance to get this mysterious machine back into his possession and find out it´s secrets for himself.

"Decepticons retreat", he shouted, "back to the base."

xxxxxxx

Optimus, Elita and Cronus had finally made it out of the town. They all could only stare at the massacre behind them.

"By the Matrix", one of the Autobots said horrified.

"I promise we will get Starscream for this", Ironhide yelled angrily.

In that moment they received a message.

"Autobots, do you hear me? This is Autobot Hotrod, my identification code is ERT0173. I need help. I had been held prisoner in a Decepticon base in the Rocky Mountains, but I could flee. I sent you my coordinates. The Decepticons are still in possession of a very dangerous object that could be a threat to this entire planet. Please come fast, I need help."

The Autobots all looked shocked and some dumbfounded.

"What should we do Prime?" Jazz asked him.

"Optimus, Hotrod was with us on Cybertron. We have met him just before we left", Elita explained.

"I think I have a explanation for all of this," Cronus informed the others.

"**That** is something I am really curious about", Prowl said quietly.

xxxxxxx

Hotrod hoped he did the right thing. If he calculated right this should be around the time Elita and Cronus came from Cybertron. He remembered the last time he met them at their depart. Hotrod didn´t knew what exactly happened back then.

Nobody of the Ark crew had ever actually wanted to talk about it.

He knew what kind of risk it was to involve the past Autobots, but he had no choice.

They had two enemies now who were both after the time-machine.

And the device was obviously far more dangerous than he had originally thought.


	15. Betrayal

This will be the last chapter that plays completely in the year 1986. That means another arc is over soon. This chapter will also contain, for example, the back story of the Autobot Cronus. That will lead to a large revelation in the end of the chapter.

**Chapter 15**

A group Autobots had assembled next to the burning town. Until a minute ago all of them were trying to help the humans who were still somewhere inside the city limits, trapped by the flames.

The most of them, like the Protectobots, were still doing this, but a few were by now standing around Optimus and the two newcomers.

Then they had received a call for help, a call from a Autobot who shouldn´t even be on the planet.

Hotrod was confirmed to be still on Cybertron.

"Optimus, he was not only on Cybertron, Hotrod was one of the group present when we left", Elita told them.

xxxxxxx

_9 hours earlier, Cybertron_

"The space-bridge is ready now. We have intercepted the signal of the Decepticons", Kup stated.

Seven robots were assembled in a secret Autobot resistance hideout, standing around a space bridge. Ultra Magnus the leader of the Autobots on Cybertron, Elita one the leader of the female Autobots, the veteran Kup, the young Autobots Hotrod and Blurr, Roadbuster and the recently returned exile Cronus.

The resistance had months earlier spied out the space-bridge design from the Decepticons and were so able to built their own model. They then connected it with the Decepticon system to access their bridge on Earth.

Elita One and Cronus were about to leave. They were bringing Optimus and his crew a warning.

"I still wish we could sent more soldiers with you, but we need everybody here right now", Ultra Magnus said to them.

"We will be enough", Cronus assured them. "All we need to do is contact Optimus´s group and warn them. We two are enough for this."

"He is right Magnus, Optimus and the others will help us. You need every Bot here to fight the Decepticons", Elita told him.

"Yes, we will be enough", Cronus said, looking at Elita.

"Good, anyway, be careful", Magnus advised them, "and good luck."

The two Autobots entered the space-bridge and the transfer was started.

xxxxxxx

_Earth, present_

"You say, you can tell us more about this Autobot?" Optimus Prime asked Cronus, a Transformer who had just arrived on Earth, together with Elita One.

"Yes, it is connected with the reason why I came here."

"How did you came back anyway? Last time we heard of you, you left Cybertron with twelve other Autobots, seven million years ago and now you are suddenly back", Ironhide commented.

"Cronus, what happened to the other twelve?" Optimus asked him.

"The others", Cronus replied. He hesitated for a moment. "As you know, we left around 7.000.000 years back, to get away from the war and start anew somewhere. But it shouldn´t have been."

His look became distant for a moment, as if he remembered something that happened a long time ago. Then he met Prime´s eyes again.

"We traveled through several star systems, but as we reached a unknown sector we were attacked without warning by an superior alien force. They left nobody alive."

"The others are all dead", Optimus repeated sadly. It were 12 more Autobots to a already unimaginable long list.

"Yes, I only escaped because of my special ability. As you know I am able to transfer myself into another hyperspace dimension."

Optimus knew that all to well. This was often confused with the very similar teleportation, which for example the Decepticon Skywarp possessed.

"In that way I survived. Everybody besides me was gone so I phased out of this reality for a short time and then back. But I was lost in space.

A long time later, I am not even sure how long I have been drifting in stasis mode through the emptiness, I landed on a planet inhabited by a friendly species. For some time, lived there", he continued his explanations.

"On that planet, I came in contact with a mysterious and very dangerous device, a machine that was created by a very old and very powerful race called the Vok, a species that is long extinct by now. This device had originally been found in the ruins of a old settlement of that race on the planet I was living on. The current natives kept it hidden in a safe location. But then, several months ago, it vanished."

"What kind of a machine is that?" Optimus asked him.

"To put it simple, a time-machine, a immense powerful one and that also explains how your Autobot Hotrod can be at two places at once."

"He is a time traveler", Prowl pointed out.

"Probably", Cronus admitted, "we can not be completely sure of course. But then there is a great chance that the time-machine is in the hands of the Decepticons."

"Okay, then we need a plan to get it away from them", Optimus decided, "and we need to rescue that Autobot. First we had to help the humans that were still left in the town, then we need a exact strategy what to do."

Cronus looked at him uneasy for a moment.

"Optimus, there is no time, we have to act now. Because there is one thing I haven´t told you yet. There is someone else who is after the device too, a creature with the name Cabal." He paused.

"I guess you know that name."

For a moment Optimus didn´t move, he did nothing. He just stood there at the mention of this name and looked at Cronus.

"We have to go", Optimus told the other Autobots, "now", he said. "Protectobots, you Ratchet and Perceptor stay here and help the humans. Help from headquarters will arrive soon."

"Yes Optimus", Hotspot replied.

"And Grimlock, that was good work", Optimus commented the Dinobot leader.

"Told you so, the Autobots can do nothing without us Dinobots fighting for them", Grimlock replied sarcastically.

"If you say so" Optimus told him similar sarcastically. "We will have to fight right again Grimlock."

He looked at the troops that were left for him, the Dinobots, Prowl, Ironhide, Jazz, Hound, Mirage, Bumblebee, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Brawn, Bluestreak, Elita and Cronus. Before they reached the Decepticon base they would meet up with Omega Supreme and the Airialbots. That had to be enough.

Wheeljack, Hoist, Beachcomber and Grapple would come here and help with the relief efforts.

"Autobots, transform and roll", he ordered.

They all transformed and started in the direction Hotrod´s coordinates told them.

xxxxxxx

Several miles away Soundwave and Skywarp were doing emergency repairs on their leader. It wasn´t a good place for it and they were lacking the equipment, but for the moment it had to be enough.

They saw that Megatron was starting to regain conscience.

"Soundwave", Megatron recognized him, "what happened?"

"Starscream took command and ordered to destroy the city."

"We got you out before everything was leveled", Skywarp told him.

"I understand. Soundwave, we will return to base and order the Constructicons back. Maybe we will need them."

"Yes Megatron, as soon as you are ready to move."

xxxxxxx

The Autobot convoy was moving over the highways of Oregon in direction of the Rocky Mountains.

Cronus had been one of the lost ones. One of the Autobots who had left Cybertron to escape the war. He had once been a important officer of the Autobot army before he made the decision to leave.

But the truth was, not everybody of the Autobots was happy to see him again. One of them was Prowl and as far as it came to him he had good reason for it.

Prowl was driving next to Optimus and he was closing up to him.

"Optimus, we have to talk."

"What is it Prowl?"

"Do you see the weak points in Cronus story?"

"Weak points?"

"Inconsistencies, holes, logic flaws, whatever you want to call them.

First of if this Hotrod is a time traveler, how comes it that the time travel device has gone missing here, in this period? It should have vanished where ever this Autobot came from. And second what happened then with the time travel-device of this time."

"I am aware of all of this Prowl, I am sure we will find some answers."

"I would feel better if we had this answers before we run into battle Optimus."

"I know Prowl, but we have to act now."

Prowl realized that Optimus was using the exactly same words as Cronus earlier.

"If Cabal is involved into this we have no time to loose", Optimus said.

They had known each other for millions of years and Prowl could seldom remember a time were Prime had sounded that worried.

"You have read the reports about him."

"Yes I have heard about it, one reason more not to loose our heads", Prowl claimed.

"You don´t trust Cronus right?"

"I have reasons for that and you know it."

xxxxxxx

Cybertron: city Altiphex, 7.000.000 years ago

_A dozen Autobots were ripped apart by the fire of Decepticon air-units. In exchange the defense guns shot two seekers who exploded into bursts of shrapnell._

_Ground-troops of both sides were shooting at each other. A tank form Decepticon fired at a Autobot whose chest was completely blown apart._

_Shockwave, Dirge, Ramjet, Thrust and 20 other seekers were bombing the city from above. The battle raged on for hours as the capital of the sector was being overrun by Decepticon troops. _

_And then finally it was over. _

_The Decepticons had won. They had turned the entire city into a wasteland._

_Over 200 Autobots and 60 Decepticons were lying dead between the remains._

_In other words it was a clear victory for the Decepticons._

At the borders of the city a group of five Autobots were gathered. Between them were three shackled Decepticons, kneeing on the ground. They were captured ground forces.

Cronus was the leader of this group. He was standing behind one of the prisoners.

Mounted on his underarm was a large plasma cannon. He took aim and shot the prisoner in the head.

Then he stepped behind the next robot and killed him in the same way. Before he could aim at the last one however another group of Autobots came in, racing in vehicle form.

Their leader transformed, it was Prowl.

"Cronus, what do you think you are doing here? You have no right to execute prisoners", he yelled at the other robot.

"No right? Have you seen what they have done here?"

"I know Cronus, I know how many of us died here, but that still doesn´t give you the right to murder helpless captives."

"You have seen how many of us are dead. There has to be a balance between our losses and theirs", Cronus said. "Or our side has already as good as lost", he added to his statement.

"What you are doing here", Prowl told him angrily, "is a grave violation of the Autobot code, beside that it is cold blooded murder, you will stop this now and I will have to report what you did here to Prime."

"Do what you have to do", he answered simply.

xxxxxxx

_Oregon, present_

"I know about this incident Prowl", Optimus reminded him.

"Yes? I know about it too Prime and somehow I could even understand it if he had simply done it because of the lost battle and the many Autobots that died this day. But in fact there had even been other questionable actions he was involved in. This one was only the last of an entire line."

"Cronus had lost his way during this last years when he was in the war. The eons of fighting do that to a mech. He had realized his mistake and left the fighting because of it."

"Or he just didn´t want to stand trial and take the responsibilities for his actions. If he stayed he would have landed before a martial court, he would have probably anyway if it hadn´t been for his great connections", Prowl commented.

"You should not forget what Cronus had all done for us. Without his help Megatron might have conquered the galaxy by now", Optimus reminded him.

"And that gives him the right to break the law?"

"No, it certainly does not. But Cronus was a war hero, that should be accounted."

"Yes it should have, in his judgement, if he had ever actually faced trial", Prowl pointed out.

"Cronus had given up his rank and his position and had gone into exile. In some sense he had chosen his own judgement. He had given up everything he once had."

"That is only a glorifying way to say that he had to answer to nobody for his actions. This is always the point where corruption starts and you know it. He is a war criminal who got away and now he just comes back and is once again with our troops, no questions asked."

Optimus was silent for a few seconds.

"Maybe we haven´t acted correctly back then, it was in the middle of the war and we needed a fast solution, one that doesn´t disrupt our war efforts. Cronus had offered to leave the Autobots and Cybertron and we have taken it."

"And now he is back."

"Yes."

xxxxxxx

_Decepticon base, Rocky Mountains_

Starscream had opened the storage room were the time-travel device was being held.

He took the small pyramid in his hands and looked at it and smiled.

"Now this belongs to me and with some luck the leadership of the Decepticons too", he said quietly.

"Megatron won´t like this", Ramjet, who was standing next to him, commented.

"Megatron is either dead or at least unable to make decisions right now. I am taking over."

With some luck he might have died in the middle of the bombed town, Starscream thought and even if Megatron had survived, Starscream would have already found out all the secrets of this machine before he would be repaired.

xxxxxxx

"Optimus", Cronus addressed the Autobot leader, "I want to say that I am sorry. I have made a lot of mistakes and I know it. I am here to correct this mistakes."

"That is good Cronus."

"Thank you Optimus", the other Autobot replied.

They had arrived at the foot of the mountain what the Decepticon base was built at. From the ground they could see the outside walls of the base that were digged into the side of the mountainside.

"Are Omega Supreme and the Airialbots here yet?" Optimus asked.

"We will be there in a minute", came Silverbolts answer over com.

"Good, Autobots transform." Optimus gave the order and they all changed into robot-mode.

"Hotrod, do you hear me?" He tried to call the one they were looking for.

"Yes, I hear you Optimus.

"Good, hurry, the Decepticons could locate us every second."

The giant rocket form of Omega Supreme, flanked by the five Airialbots was descending from the sky. He transformed into his robot form and landed next to the other Autobots.

The Airialbots staid in the air where they had for the moment the beast tactical use.

xxx

Inside the Decepticons had actually already located their approaching enemies.

"Starscream, the Autobots are outside", Thrust called him.

"Damn, they must have followed us", the Air Commander snarled angrily. This was the last thing he needed now.

"Or our prisoner had called them", Thundercracker remarked.

The first thing they found out when they came back was that their prisoner had escaped and a group of very dazed Decepticons who had stated that the Autobot had somehow been freed. But they also claimed that he wasn´t alone, that someone else had been there, someone who took them all out with an energy impulse.

It didn´t matter right now, he had the time-machine, the machine was more important. He would keep it in his hands during the battle. He couldn´t let it out of sight.

"Decepticons attack", he shouted.

xxx

A few moments after the Autobots had arrived a flame colored sports-car came racing out of the forest. A few meters before them it transformed into a robot.

"Optimus, it is good to see you", the robot greeted him.

"Hotrod", he replied.

"I am sorry that I have to get you into this, but I had no choice. The Decepticons have a device that we need back."

"I know Hotrod."

In that moment the Decepticons attacked. Laser blasts were raining down at the Autobots before they fired back.

Grimlock and his team transformed into their dinosaur forms. The Airialbots were engaging the seekers.

Combaticons and Stunticons were forming the super-robots Bruticus and Menasor.

Omega Supreme opened fire on the two combiner giants and was shot by them in reverse.

Parts of the forest had caught fire. The valley between the mountains was turned into a battlefield.

xxxxxxx

From one of the mountain peeks close by Cabal was watching the battle, back in his adopted robot body. He didn´t let Hotrod know that he could take this form too, yet.

It was all going according to plan. Manipulating Starscream´s mind was a move that had played out.

His powers had decreased over the eons, since Optimus Prime and Megatron had left him behind on a dead world. But it was still enough, he could still take influence.

Neither the Autobots or the Decepticons knew that he was the one controlling their reality.

xxxxxxx

A combination of hits and shots from Omega Supreme and Bruticus, who had taken prior damage in the last battle, was falling apart into his components.

Menasor attacked and stroke Omega with his energon sword. The blade sliced his armor from his stomach to the shoulder and caused a deep wound.

Thrust was hit by a stray-shot and forced to land. The Aerialbots had formed Superion by now.

Starscream was standing aside, watching the battle. The time-machine was still in his hands. It was too important.

"Optimus, Starscream has the device", Hotrod called out. He had seen the small pyramid-shaped object in the seeker´s hands. The two Autobots were closing up on the Air Commander.

"No, it belongs to me", Starscream shouted. He knew this machine would be his key to the universe, his way to even greater power.

Little did he knew that it was actually the being on the mountain next to him that was planting this thoughts into him.

Starscream looked at the battle. Superion and Menasaur were now struggling with each other. The remaining Decepticons were trying to hold the rest of the Autobots off, but it was obvious that they were outnumbered and hopelessly outmatched.

They were losing the battle. He was about to loose everything. That couldn´t be.

"No." Starscream was screaming and firing his guns at the Autobot leader and the time-traveler.

Optimus aimed his rifle, fired and hit Starscream in the shoulder. Hotrod transformed into his sports-car mode and simply run the distracted Air Commander over. He took the time-travel device.

"I have it Optimus", he called out.

Then the Autobots were attacked from above. Superion was shot in the back and fell to his knees.

Devastator, and Astrotrain were flying in and joining the fight. Another hit from Menasor forced Superion to separate. Omega Supreme had now stood up again and attacked Devastator.

As a upgraded guardian model Omega had one of the greatest fire powers on Cybertron. Two shots that he fired from his main weapon were enough to cause serious damage to Devastator´s armor. Physically however the wounded super-robot was not much of a match for the gestalt. A single shot from Devastators eye-lasers was enough to rip open Omega Supreme´s slice wound and damage his inner circuity.

From one moment to the next the situation had completely turned around.

xxx

Starscream saw three other robots landing next to him, Soundwave, Skywarp and Megatron. The Decepticon leader was supported by the other two. He was still clearly heavily damaged. Alone the fact that he had accepted help, even if it was only to a small agree, proved that he had to be in a very bad state.

This would have been the perfect chance to get rid of him once and for all. If it hadn´t been for the fact that two other warriors were backing him up.

Both, Soundwave and Skywarp had their weapons lifted. Megatron himself had his fusion gun aimed at him.

"I see you are not very happy to have me back Starscream", he exclaimed.

"Megatron, I…"

"You have hoped that I would die in this little inferno you have caused right?"

"Megatron, I have never…"

"Destroying an settlement full of weak organics only to get me, yes that is exactly on your level", he pointed out, "and as usual you have failed."

Starscream´s expression became dark. He frowned. Megatron was humiliating him again.

"Have you something to say Starscream?"

"The Autobots, they have the time-machine."

Megatron glared at his second in command. His anger had even grown.

"You are really an idiot Starscream."

xxx

The Dinobots had now started a combined attack on Devastator, assisting the damaged Omega Supreme. After a short time, the Constructicon combiner went down under their fire.

Cronus was standing at the side of the struggle. He was watching the course of the battle. The most warriors of both sides had been damaged, more or less serious. Many had already been from the last fight.

They didn´t have time for repairs or refueling, all of them were low on energon.

Both sides had decimated each other, perfect.

This was the ideal situation. He had told Optimus Prime the truth, he had made a mistake.

And he planed correct it.

After all those years his time had finally come, he would triumph.

Cronus stepped forward. With a well aimed shot he brought Soundwave´s cassette Buzzaw down. The bird was injured but functional.

Elita One was standing directly before him. She was shooting at a few of the Decepticon jets.

He smiled. After all this time the hiding was over. The children of Primus would now finally see who he truly was.

"Autobots, Decepticons", he called out, so loud that everyones attention was on him, "look at me."

It was finally at the time, the time for him to show his true face. Finally it would all be his. He started to laugh.

Cronus entire body began to glow. Then it began to change. Form, structure and consistence of his entire construction were reforming.

The Autobots and the Decepticons watched unbelieving at what was happening. This wasn´t a normal transformation, none like they had ever known it. His body seemed to be reconstructing itself on a molecular level.

After a few seconds Cronus appearance had completely changed. He was now taller, in the size of Optimus Prime or Ultra Magnus. His armor was now completely in colors black and red. He seemed larger in every way, sleeker, more dangerous and far more powerful.

His optics were now not longer blue but red, like a Decepticon´s, but on his body was nowhere a emblem to see.

What was still the same was his battle staff, which he was holding in his left hand.

On his right underarm he was now carrying a large cannon, somehow like Megatron did it but of a different style. It was old, ancient looking, just like his staff weapon.

Without a warning he shot Elita One in the back. The plasma blast ripped a deep wound, her internal mechanics were burned.

Then Cronus lifted his staff and stabbed the female Autobot with his full strength. The weapon went through her already damaged body and stuck out of her chest.

The being who was once Cronus lifted her impaled form up and through it aside.

None of the Transformers had moved, too surprised and shocked by the sudden event.

"No", Optimus cried out. He wanted to run to the point where Elita had fell, but the robot stood in his way.

"Cronus", he said this name, angry, questioning.

"Cronus like you know him had never existed Optimus, a name that I took, one of many over the eras. I am one of the first Transformers, one of the original thirteen creations of Primus. Until I turned away from him to the force that is truly moving the universe", he explained.

"The name I am truly known under is The Fallen."

xxxxxxx

_Cybertron, years in the future_

The Decepticon Cyclonus was entering the main hall. His leader Galvatron was sitting on his throne, flanked by Sweeps.

"Cyclonus, come in. Tell me, how is the situation?"

"We have taken the city. The Autobots are either dead or fleeing."

"That means Cybertron and Earth are ours."

"Yes my lord."

"Ours, ours, no not ours, **his**", Galvatron murmured.

"My lord?"

"Silence", Galvatron snarled. "Rodimus Prime is dead. We got rid of him. We are free of him. Ultra Magnus is still out there. He is still on the run. Find him, send all troops after him. Bring me Ultra Magnus head."

"Yes my lord."


	16. Time s end

Several things from the last chapters, in first line from the past story arc, 9.000.000 years ago, will be explained in this chapter.

The Fallen is here not, like in the second movie, the founder of the Decepticons, but like originally a herald of Unicron. His physical appearance however is more based on the movie version.

**Chapter 16**

The assembled Transformers, Autobots and Decepticons alike, were standing before the being who had once been the Autobot Cronus.

Somehow the robot had undergone a complete reformation on the molecular level.

Like Galvatron would have nearly twenty years later, Hotrod remembered.

But he was the only one present who could knew about this. Only here it seemed to have happened by Cronus own accord and by his own power.

The name itself some of them recognized.

The Fallen, as he was called, was a creature out of old legends that only a few Transformers today even remembered. He was said to be one of the first Transformers, thirteen original creations that were older than their current history. It was a legend, like Primus or the Chaos Bringer.

This one was said to have betrayed the other twelve and so his real name had been erased and he was only be called "The Fallen".

Of course this was only a legend or so they thought.

The entire situation was insane. What everybody had thought was an Autobot was now attacking them. The sides were reversed from one moment to the other. What everybody thought was a usual Transformer was now a creature out of an old story.

xxx

The transformed former Cronus had just mortally wounded Elita One and everybody had been too surprised to even react. Now both sides were facing him and none was certain what exactly to expect from this new entity, only that he obviously wasn´t a friend to either of their sides.

Some of them could barely believe what was going on before their eyes.

In the next second The Fallen vanished from sight and reappeared only a moment later, standing on Menasor´s shoulder.

With a move of his battle staff he hit the gestalt robot directly at a weak point between his shoulders and his arms. A strong energy impulse was shot through the connectios between Menasor´s components and the already weakened super-robot simply fell apart.

Many of the Transformers present were shocked by this display of power. Even against a gestalt that was already in bad shape it was this still overwhelming.

To that came the fact that barely one of them was still at their full strength. The most were already damaged or at least out of energy. None of them was sure if they had even still a chance against this enemy in their state.

The supposed thirteen original Transformers were an ancient myth. Only a few cybertronians were old enough to have even know anything about this story. Nobody really believed it.

They were said to be the first Transformers in existence and they were supposed to be much more powerful than most of the ones that lived in the current time. Nobody was sure if he had ever really existed, even less when.

To put it short they were a myth.

Optimus for example had heard about this old stories once from Alpha Trion. He wasn´t sure if he ever really believed anything of it.

Right now however he didn´t care. He didn´t even care about the insanity of the situation anymore or about the fight.

Elita was lying badly injured a few meters from him. He knelt beside her.

"Optimus", she stammered, "he…" She looked in the direction of their new enemy. Elita was dieing, there was no doubt about it.

"…I am sorry. I didn´t know…", she said to him.

"It is okay Elita", he answered. "You couldn´t have, none of us did."

Optimus felt like a complete fool. He should have listened to Prowl. Cronus had proofed himself to be untrustworthy millions of years ago. He had executed prisoners, possibly committed other war-crimes. But for the sake of the war-effort they had let him go away just with a self exposed exile.

And this was the result.

This creature had infiltrated the Autobots and fooled them for who knows how long.

"We have always known that it could sometimes end like this, right Optimus?" Elita told him. "That one of us would die some day. This was always hanging over us."

Elita´s head sunk down. Her optics had become dark.

xxx

The Autobots and the Decepticons, some of the few who were still able to fight, were looking at each other for a short time before they in silent agreement attacked The Fallen together.

Prowl, Ironhide, Skywarp and Thundercracker were charging him.

Skywarp teleported and attacked from a different ankle than the others. Thundercracker and the two Autobots were firing on him from the front.

Their enemy however countered their assault quite easily. He deflected one shot with his staff, two others hit his armor on chest and shoulder but barely left a scratch.

Then he threw Ironhide and Prowl with a well place hit over 30 meters through the air. Thundercracker could barely avoid a shot from his gun.

Wheeljack shot a missile at him from long range. It hit but did no visible damage. Another shot from The Fallen blasted Wheeljack´s shoulder apart and ripped his arm off.

He had won.

But it didn´t matter, this was not the reason he was here.

Then he saw the robot he was waiting for.

"Optimus, my old friend", he greeted him.

The Autobot leader had seen the creature standing over his defeated comrades. He decided it was time to get active.

"You", he said in the coldest voice anybody had ever heard of him.

"For how long have you been hiding among us?" Optimus asked him.

"From the beginning", he answered.

"So Cronus the Autobot never existed", Optimus stated.

"A useful facade, it served my purposes."

"I understand", he answered without a visible emotion. One moment later he charged his opponent.

The Fallen met his attack, obviously without great difficulties.

"I had been posing as a Autobot for a long time", he said, "doing little things to make sure the war turns as bad as possible, playing both you and the Decepticons."

The two exchanged a number of blows.

"But it wasn´t what I truly wanted", The Fallen said.

"And what did you want?" Optimus asked him.

"That what is inside of you right now."

"The Matrix", he realized.

"Yes, I am talking about the creation Matrix, that is nothing but the life force of Primus itself."

The Fallen landed a hit and threw his opponent several meters backwards. He was physically stronger than the Autobot leader, but Optimus fought vigorously.

"You want to destroy the Matrix? Why?" he asked.

"In the future an Autobot will rise from the ranks. In the darkest hour he will stand up and bring the light." The Fallen was reciting an ages old cybertronian prophesy. "You know this verses right?" he asked. "I want to make sure that it will never happen."

"Who are you?" Optimus asked.

"I was the first Herald of Chaos. For countless millions of years I have been serving the goals of my master.

"Do you remember our first meeting?" The Fallen reminded him. "I have told you about Megatron´s entire plan and led you directly to his base." He looked Optimus directly in the eyes as he said the rest.

"The truth is his attempt to transform Cybertron into a mobile world-ship would have ruined all my plans. You see, had Cybertron staid in it´s original orbit, my master would have found it millions of years ago and you, your followers and the entire Transformers race would have been wiped out long before."

Optimus began to understand how badly he had been manipulated.

"Hundreds of Autobots and Decepticons died in that battle", Optimus told him.

"Yes, that was another advantage", The Fallen replied.

"Advantage?" Optimus asked him darkly.

The two opponents were still exchanging blows. One swing of his enemies battle staff hit the Autobot leader at the leg, causing a minor wound, not that bad, but enough to be a distraction in the fight.

"It was easy to get you to stop Megatron for me. Had you succeeded it would have been the end of your race. But something unpredicted happened", The Fallen continued. "Cybertron was thrown out of it´s orbit and left the system anyway. For all of you it was a tragedy. The irony was that you didn´t realize it was probably the best thing to ever happen to you."

"Yes, an irony of history", Optimus remarked sarcastically as he fired a shot at his enemy that scorched his armor.

"But for **me** it was a disaster. So I decided to make the best of the situation. I joined your ranks, at least at the outside and I waited for my chance to get to you and the Matrix. Oh, you protected it well, never taking any chances, never going out unguarded, never being careless.

It became even worse after that creature Cabal tried to take control of it. You didn´t even carried it in you from then but hid it on a secret place and my chance to destroy it was gone."

Optimus realized he had made the right decision a long time ago.

"I decided to leave Cybertron, but not before making sure that both of your sides are weakened and thinned out as much as possible, for the behalf of my master. I just executed a few defenseless Decepticons and you in your endless wisdom had "banished" me from Cybertron. I even used the chance to take others with me to never be seen again."

"Who is your master?" Optimus asked.

"You will find out soon enough, in your darkest hour you will all see him."

The Fallen´s face was partly hidden under a battle mask but Optimus was sure that he was smiling.

So far he had only been playing with his target.

He knew despite his calm exterior Optimus was close to the breaking point, he had just lost the robot who was closest to him, by his hand and now he was rubbing into his face how far he had deceived him.

Optimus would attack him in a rage and try fighting him one to one, without help, all he had to do was wait for him to come out.

In his weakened state however, he knew the Autobot leader had absolutely no hope against him.

As Optimus attack finally came, his opponent had only been waiting for it.

xxx

Hotrod had finally gotten the object that he had come for.

But now he could only watch the fight between Optimus and the robot that Cronus had changed into.

He remembered the last time this events had happened. From the eyes of the Hotrod of this time, who was still on Cybertron right now.

He had met both Elita and Cronus as they had left for exactly this battle.

And now he had watched how one of their allies had turned into a monster before their eyes.

Why had he not been informed about what had truly happened here back then? he asked himself. Why had nobody told him what Cronus really was?

Elita could still be alive, he could have warned them.

He realized that he had just answered his own question. They didn´t want him to know.

The other Autobots didn´t want him to endanger the past. They had knowingly kept him from changing anything, including Elita´s death. He didn´t want to think what that had meant for Optimus.

Then suddenly a blast nearly caught him in the side. The shot had only barely missed him.

It was Starscream. The seeker was attacking him, flying in robot-mode.

"Give it back, it belongs to me", he screamed.

Hotrod had already dodged a second blast and had now the chance to counter. It was obvious to him that Starscream was in a rage and was attacking him nearly blindly.

"Not this time", he called out and returned fire.

The blast struck the seeker at one of his wings and brought him off balance. Hotrod used then the chance to struck him in the face.

Then he turned around to the place Optimus and their new enemy were fighting.

This creature had mentioned "The darkest hour", a old Autobot prophesy.

It was one that Optimus himself would mention on his death bed in the future, a prophesy that would become true with the rise of Rodimus Prime and the end of the Chaos Bringer.

For Hotrod, this now only meant one thing, this being was an agent of Unicron.

His aim was obviously to destroy the Matrix before it could be used to stop his master

and he was about to succeed.

xxx

Optimus managed to land few successful hits, but then he was quickly overwhelmed by his enemies greater strength and currently better condition.

Optimus was growing weaker and weaker. He had overestimated himself, he admitted silently and he had let grief and anger cloud his better judgment.

And then it was suddenly over.

A single hard strike broke through his defense, his gun was ripped from his hands.

The next blow dented his chest plate and shattered the glass plates in it and slammed him to the ground.

"It is senseless old friend", The Fallen stated. "You have taken too much damage from the previous fights, something that I have of course already known when I have send you here. You were always far too gullible for your own good Optimus or for that of your followers.

You have no chance."

xxx

From some distance Megatron had seen the entire confrontation and had heard every word.

Right behind him were Soundwave and the seekers Thundercracker and Skywarp who had landed and were now standing next to their leader.

Megatron began to charge his fusion gun.

"What are you doing?" Skywarp asked him.

"He is about to defeat Optimus", he replied.

The Decepticon leader was damaged but he lifted his gun.

"If I bring my weapon at the highest power possible I think I will be able to bring even him down", Megatron said, pointing at The Fallen. "As you know, I have never used it to it full potential, but this time I will."

"Course of action not advisable", Soundwave reminded him, "it would damage you too."

"I know", the Decepticon leader replied.

What barely anybody knew was that Megatron`s fusion gun draw it´s power from a small singularity, a black hole. But it´s full potential was so powerful and so uncontrollable that it would nearly unavoidable weaken and probably damage himself too, so he barely ever used it.

It was a last resort measure.

"Your condition is already dangerous", Skywarp pointed out.

"Don´t try to stop me", Megatron told them. "I have myself to settle a score with this being myself."

Nine million years ago his plans for the planet Cybertron were destroyed. His master plan was turned into a disaster in a single day. Now he knew the full background of what had happened back then.

He began to take aim.

xxx

Optimus was lying helpless on the ground.

"For you, it is over now ", The Fallen said to him.

He bowed knelt down before Optimus damaged form and ripped his chest compartment open

The Matrix, that was hidden in the Autobot leader´s body, became visible.

_The damage was extreme. Optimus was on the brink of consciousness._

_He was in a state somewhere between life and dead. He had failed, he knew this._

_He had failed the Matrix and the Autobots. It was his own overconfidence and his hasty decisions that had let to this situation._

_Optimus could now see the light of the Matrix that he knew so well all around him. He could feel it´s warm comforting presence. _

_As long as the Matrix was with him it had always been there, underlying and barely noticeable. Now, were he was on the edge of death, it became visible to him._

_But then he recognized there was also a second presence, cold, hateful and malevolent. _

_It was pure darkness, like Optimus had never felt it before, not even when he had been confronted with Cabal all those million years before._

_A part of it, the smaller one, he realized came from The Fallen. _

_But there was a force towering behind him, a darkness that was in intensity equal to the Matrix, even if in it´s nature it was the absolute opposite._

_Then he began to hear the voices._

"_And so it ends Primus", Optimus could hear the words been spoken, the "sound", that wasn´t sonic waves but something else, somehow being taken through the space._

_It was a deep and cruel voice, full of hate and anger._

"_My faithful servant will destroy your weak puppet that you call Prime."_

_"You underestimate me and you underestimate my children", Optimus could hear another voice answer._

_It was to him as if he knew this being or at least should have known it for a long time._

_What is that? Optimus asked himself. His mind was drifting more and more into unconsciousness._

"_I don´t think so. Your greatest mistake was to make yourself so vulnerable. A single wrong decision of your creations and all will be lost to you. _

_I will win and I don´t even have to do something", the sinister voice said._

"_Who are you?", Optimus mind called out._

"_The Chaos-Bringer, destroyer", the benevolent voice answered his question. "Stand up child and fight", it told him._

_Was what he was seeing been real? Optimus asked himself or was it all some kind of hallucination._

xxx

The Fallen stood over him, ready to grab the Matrix and rip it out of Optimus chest.

"And so it ends", he said, repeating the words of his master.

xxx

Hotrod had seen what was happening and he knew the entire time what this being was after.

It reminded him all too much of what had happened in Autobot city.

But this time it was worse, this time it was not only Optimus life at stake, it was the world, the future, the entire universe.

Hotrod knew he could not make the same mistake twice. Once he had gotten involved into one of Optimus fights and it backfired terrible. But he had no choice.

He would not fail this time.

Hotrod transformed into car-mode and raced at the enemy. The time-machine was now lying on his driver´s set.

xxx

The Fallen was ready to to tore the Matrix from Optimus body and destroy it.

Too late he registered that a sports-car was coming at him with full speed. Hotrod crashed into him and slammed him down.

"No", he screamed. He had been so close.

Hotrod transformed and tried to drag Optimus away from his foe.

The time machine was still with him. He could hardly let it lying around.

It was the reason he had risked involving the past Autobots in the first place, to get it out of the hands of their enemies and now this.

He didn´t dare to put it into his sub-space pocket, not knowing what it could have of a effect on the technology,

he couldn´t let it lying around where he had been standing, where Starscream or any other Decepticon could just pick it up,

he couldn´t keep it in his hands while he was fighting.

So he threw it away, in a short distance from him. Of course his stand against this enemy was still hopeless, he thought.

The Fallen was standing up again.

Hotrod realized he was finished, his energy reserves were close to their limit and this enemy was just too strong. He had succeeded in bringing Optimus out of his enemies range, at least for the moment. There was no chance that he could continue the fight.

Now the others would have to react or it would all be over.

At that moment a giant blast hit The Fallen from behind. The shot ripped through his body. His right arm and the greatest part of his shoulder were literally blown off.

With a terrible scream the original Prime went to his knees.

xxx

"Yes", Megatron said to himself. It felt good doing this, he had to admit.

"Skywarp, Thundercracker, now get me the time-travel device back", he ordered.

xxx

Hotrod and Optimus saw how their enemy went down. When they realized who had made the shot they could barely believe it. Megatron of all people had just saved them.

But then something happened that nobody would have expected at this moment, a energy sphere that he only knew all too well was suddenly surrounding Hotrod.

The time machine, he realized. He saw it lying a few meters from him, active.

Before he could do anything the bubble had already swallowed him and everything around. In the next moment the time-traveler had vanished.

And so had the fallen Prime.

xxx

Hundreds of meters over them Cabal was still watching the whole development. He said only one word.

"Perfect."

xxx

The Autobots and the Decepticons were still standing on the battlefield.

Nobody really knew how they should continue from here. Everybody was confused by what just happened.

They were all in a terrible state. The few who were not too damaged to function properly were completely out of energy.

The Autobot named Hotrod had just vanished, possibly and hopefully back to his own time.

But the time-machine was still there.

xxxxxxx

_Somewhere in time_

After a few moments of disorientation Hotrod came back to his senses.

He looked around, he was obviously still on Earth, it even seemed to be the same place, but the landscape looked quite different.

Another time, he thought, again.

Then he heard something behind him.

Had someone else been transported with him? He turned around and froze.

The Fallen was standing only a few meters next to him. He had obviously been caught in the sphere of the time-machine too.

Hotrod looked at him, he was an absolute wreck.

The right arm and a great part of his upper body were gone. He was bleeding energon. It was a wonder that this robot even managed to stand.

Hotrod had been lightly damaged in the last fights and his energy reserves were close to zero. But he was still far better of than his enemy. Right now, he knew, he had the upper hand.

The Fallen was looking him directly in the eyes.

"It is not over yet Autobot", he said.

With this words he vanished from sight. Whatever teleport technology he was using, it was obviously still working despite his damaged state.

Hotrod was left behind alone.

xxxxxxx

_The year 1986_

Skywarp saw what he was looking for lying on the ground, the time-machine.

He picked it up and flew back to his leader.

He and Thundercracker realized that they were among the few robots left who were still undamaged around.

"I think this is this what you wanted", he told Megatron as he landed beside him.

xxxxxxx

_A million light-years away, outside of the Milky Way Galaxy  
_

Unicron was sending his anger in waves out into the universe.

He had been so close.

Primus, the Matrix would have been gone, but The Fallen had failed in the last moment.

And he had lost contact with his servant. It was as if The Fallen had been ripped from the face of the universe.

But in the end it didn´t matter. He would just have to replace him.

The short mental contact he had with Primus had already brought him an idea, the one who had stopped his harbinger.

What a better choice was there to take his place?

And ultimately this short contact was enough to give him a vague knowledge where Primus was, a direction where he would find his world.

Primus could not longer hide from him.


	17. Timeline alternate

**Chapter 17**

Events from 1986 to present (alternate timeline):

The year 1986: After the disappearance of the time-traveler Hotrod things seemingly return to going on like they had before.

_The war between the Autobots and the Decepticons continues._

_xxx_

_October 1886: The Decepticons are successful in understanding and replicating the time-travel technology they had gotten from the Autobot Hotrod._

_xxx_

_December 1986: The Autobot resistance on Cybertron is able to establish contact with the Autobots on Earth._

_xxx_

_The year 1987:_

_January 1987: The Decepticon leader Megatron conceives a secret plan to create a improved and larger version of the time-travel device they had acquired from the time-traveling Autobot._

_xxx_

_March 1987: The Decepticons begin with the construction of the pyramid at a secret location._

_xxx_

_May 1987: Under the leadership of Ultra Magnus the Autobots on Cybertron starts a organized counter-strike against the Decepticon rule under the code-name "operation volcano"._

_xxx_

_June 1987: During the progress of "operation volcano" the Autobots retake control of Iacon and a couple of other sectors on their home-planet._

_Starscream blames the success of the campaign on Megatron spending time and resources on his "pyramid project". (In the "normal" timeline the Decepticons found out about this campaign early and it was crumbled before it even started.)_

_xxx_

_July 1987: The mysterious Transformer named Galvatron, along with his lieutenants Cyclonus and Scourge, appears on Earth and tries to wrestle control of the Decepticons from Megatron._

_Optimus recognize them as the group of Decepticons he and Ultra Magnus had encountered 9 million years ago._

_xxx_

_August 1987: Galvatron has gathered a group of followers and is successful in staging a coup against Megatron._

_After a number of devastating defeats for the Autobots it becomes clear very quickly that Galvatron is more powerful and dangerous than Megatron ever was._

The Autobots Ultra Magnus, Kup, Hotrod and Blurr arrive on Earth and join the local Autobots in the fight against Galvatron.

_Optimus is introduced to Hotrod in their "first" meeting._

_During a confrontation with Ultra Magnus Galvatron reveals to him that, like the time-traveling __Autobot, he is from the future and came to the past to prepare the Transformers for a coming threat._

_**Comment:**__ It is unsure how much of Galvatron´s claims to have an benevolent motive can be believed. What however is to be mentioned is that in retro-perspective Galvatron and his followers didn´t cause as much damage to the Autobot troops as they, with their strength and fire-power, could have._

_If they just wanted to preserve their own time-line, if they thought the Autobots could be useful assets against the coming threat or if they had completely different reasons to hold back is unclear._

_xxx_

_September 1987: The imprisoned Megatron is able to break out with the help of a few loyal Decepticons and Starscream. He agrees to a temporally alliance with the Autobots. _

_**Comment: **__It is well known that Starscream has no loyalty for Megatron. But he probably backed him up because he thought he would be more easy to overthrow later than the nearly invincible Galvatron._

_In a long and hard fight the allied forces are able to defeat Galvatron and reinstall Megatron as the Decepticon leader. _

_Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge disappear. It is thought that they returned to their own time._

_xxx_

_October 1887: After retaking his position as Decepticon leader Megatron starts a offensive to bring Iacon back under Decepticon control. _

_During the following events Optimus Prime took personally command of the Autobot forces on Cybertron._

_The "Second Battle of Iacon", as it became known, was been waging for entire days. In the end the Decepticons failed to reconquer the city and the Autobots were able to defend their ancient capital. But it was on the price of heavy losses on both sides, hundreds of Autobots and Decepticons were killed, a great part of the Iacon sector was devastated._

_The ultimate outcome of the battle was that the Autobots were able to corroborate their hold over the Iacon sector and their presence on Cybertron._

_xxx_

_The year 1989:_

_April 1989: The construction of the new Earth-base of the Autobots is beginning, the code-name of the project is "Autobot city"._

Like the name suggests, it will be a large and transformable city complex, a permanent home for the Autobots on Earth and both military and technological, a great improvement over the crash-landed Arc.

xxx

_May 1989: After the loss of another two sectors of Cybertron to the Autobots, the moral in the Decepticon army is badly damaged._

Starscream sees his chance and is starting a rebellion. He declares openly that Megatron´s waste of resources for the construction of his new time-machine is responsible for the losses and challenges Megatron for leadership.

While most of the Earth bound Decepticons were not particular impressed, they just knew him too well, some of the ones from Cybertron were more open to his suggestions.

A group of cybertronian Decepticons, dissatisfied with the situation, comes to Earth and joins Starscream´s rebellion.

The Decepticons split up, with Megatron, Soundwave, the most of the seekers, Reflector, the Stunticons and the Combaticons at the one side

and Starscream, the triple-changers, the Insecticons, the Seacons, Darkwing, Dreadwind and others on the other.

xxx

_June 1989: Open war breaks out between the two Decepticon factions on Earth._

_The fighting very quickly becomes a threat to the human population. While Optimus claims that the "internal struggles" of the Decepticons are not the Autobot´s business, the protection of the humans is. _

_So the Autobots, besides engaging Decepticons of both sides on a daily basis, try everything to keep the confrontations in check and keep the Decepticons away from larger population centers._

_xxx_

_Juli 1989: The construction of Autobot city is nearly complete. Before it can get active however the Decepticon faction under Megatron begin an attack to destroy the base before it becomes a threat to them._

_The Autobots win the initial battle and are able to save the city, but only at the price of high causalities and the loss of many warriors._

_xxx_

_August 1989: The Decepticon civil war is decided in one last battle. Megatron turns out to be the winner and prevails as Decepticon leader. _

_Starscream flees from Earth and goes into exile._

_Despite the Autobots best efforts human towns and facilities were often harmed during the Decepticon´s power struggle. Damage was wide-spread, but without the influence of the Autobots it would have been worse._

_**Comment: **__During all this, a special assigned group of Decepticons continued in secret the construction of the machine that would be known as the pyramid._

_This however wasn´t known to the Autobots until years later._

_**Comment:**__ Starscream´s original justification for his latest rebellion was that Megatron´s obsession with the time-travel technology and his waste of resources were weakening the Decepticons._

_Despite the obvious level of truth in this reasoning the civil war started by him only resulted in damaging them even further and lessening their stand in comparison with the Autobots._

_xxx_

_The year 1992:_

_The fighting on Cybertron comes to an standstill, with the Autobots owning 30 % of the planet and the Decepticons 70._

_xxx_

_The year 2005:_

May 2005: The chaos bringer Unicron has finally found the sector of Cybertron´s location and is preparing his attack.

_As his messengers he chose a abandoned long-range patrol of Decepticons who had gone lost on a dangerous mission._

_As he found the ship of the desperate robots in space he made them an offer that was none, the possibilities to serve him or die._

_Unicron reformates the robots on a molecular level, gives them new identities and reprogram or some would rather say "brainwash" them into doing his bidding. _

_**Comment:**__ Under this reformated Decepticons were also Cyclonus and Scourge._

_The mystery around Galvatron was in some sense solved, at least for Optimus and Ultra Magnus. _

_Galvatron, so they thought, was a Transformer who had at some point in the future been re-created by Unicron and time-traveled back in the past for multiple times to follow one so far unknown agenda._

_So far the theory. It is however likely that he, through his own interference, changed the timeline so far that he didn´t even exist anymore, since Galvatron was not under the Decepticons that had been reformated._

_All this implies one thing, that Unicron was indeed the coming threat that Galvatron had warned the Transformers about years earlier._

_xxx_

_Unicron´s group of Decepticons attacks a supply shuttle of the Autobots and kills the crew. Then they continue their way to Earth, to execute their one order given to them by their master, destroy the Matrix._

_They attack Autobot city and finally confront Optimus Prime himself. _

_But their assault is thrown back. The Autobot garrison is able to beat the unicronians and they retreat back into space._

_At the same time Unicron enters the star system of Cybertron._

To help their friends on their home-planet Optimus and his crew start to Cybertron. On their way however they are tracked down by the unicronians who do everything to keep them from reaching their destination.

_**Comment:**__ Optimus claims that he "has a feeling" that the Matrix is the weapon that can stop this enemy._

_xxx_

_While his minions are keeping Optimus Prime occupied Unicron is attacking Cybertron directly._

_As the threat becomes obvious Megatron and the leaders of the Autobot controlled sectors of the planet agree to a temporally alliance._

_xxx_

_In space Optimus group is attacked by the unicronians once again. _

_After a long fight he and Ultra Magnus are able to defeat Cyclonus and Scourge in combat and the rest of Unicron´s creations are fleeing._

_xxx_

_But when they finally reach Cybertron´s location it is already too late. Their home-planet is gone and all they can find is debris and ashes._

_They found a few ships full of survivors and heard from them what had happened, how the "planet" transformed into a robot of giant proportions and destroyed the planet itself. _

During the fight, Unicron identified himself as the legendary Chaos Bringer, a being known from cybertronian mythology.

_**Comment:**__ Optimus makes a decision, to spare other planets the same fate as Cybertron he will go after Unicron. _

_He says that he won´t force anybody to go with him on this mission and asks for volunteers. _

_A large number of Autobots and Decepticons, even Megatron, agrees to come with him._

_xxx_

_They find Unicron in a neighboring star system and start a desperate attack on him, partly out of revenge, partly from the wish to protect others._

_During the fight Optimus succeeds in opening the Matrix. As it´s light hit Unicron it seems to have an devastating effect. It is overloading his systems and burning through his armor. It caused heavy damage, but ultimately it failed to destroy him._

_The Transformers had to retreat from the system, knowing that the threat Unicron presents is removed for the moment, but not forever._

_**Comment:**__ It seems when the Matrix was opened it was simply in a too great distance to Unicron. Only a small part of the energy that the Matrix unleashed actually reached him._

_For the Transformers it was a small victory after the loss of their home-world and the greatest part of their species, but ultimately it was only a partial one._

_xxx_

_The year 2006:_

_The surviving Autobots have settled on Earth. Many have long accepted the organic world as a second and now their only home-world. Autobot city is now the center of what is left of their civilization._

At the same time, the Decepticons have vanished from this sector of the universe.

_xxx_

_The year 2010:_

_Februar 2010: The Decepticons have not been seen for 5 years._

_On Earth the Autobots have started to rebuild themselves. But then suddenly the Decepticons return._

They attack with a brutality that was unknown up to this point, not only power plants and factories, but also human towns are targeted and destroyed for no visible reason.

_The Autobots are trying everything they can to prevent the worst, but the war is only escalating. Besides hundred thousands of humans, many Transformers on both sides are killed._

_xxx_

_April 2010: The towns New York, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma, Los Angeles and San Diego are attacked and laid waste to._

_**Comment:**__ Nobody knows the motivation behind the destruction. Speculations were going on if Megatron has gone insane. Others say he follows some desperate tactic for some reason._

_But nobody really knows the truth._

_xxx_

_November 2010: After 24 years the construction of the pyramid is nearly finished._

_xxx_

_The year 2011:_

_The present…_


	18. divergence

**Chapter 18**

_New York city on Earth in the year 2010_

After the destruction of Cybertron the Decepticons had been gone for five years, but a few months ago they returned.

But things weren´t like before. What had once been a war had now turned into a massacre.

Seemingly completely senseless they were attacking human towns and were burning them down.

Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma, San Diego and now New York city.

It was this morning the Decepticons had started their latest surprise attack.

Now Optimus Prime was standing in the middle of a burning field of rubble that had once been a part of Manhattan.

The city around them was lying in ruins.

"Why, why are you doing this?" Optimus was shouting at the Decepticon leader.

"It is part of the plan", Megatron calmly responded, "a plan that you don´t understand old friend, at least not yet."

"Plan? You call **this** part of a plan?" the Autobot leader gestured at the inferno around them.

"I see you are still thinking about the welfare of your precious humans, as always. Don´t worry, all what is happening here will mean nothing in the end."

xxxxxxx

It was the year 2011. The planet Cybertron didn´t exist anymore.

But the war between Autobots and Decepticons was still going on.

Until today.

Now the war would soon be coming to an end.

xxx

_One year later, Autobot-city on Earth_

A large group of Autobots was assembled in Autobot city´s control center, in front of them was their leader Optimus Prime.

It was a briefing for the coming battle.

The line of Autobots present consisted of Ultra Magnus, Ironhide, Ratchet, Wheeljack, Springer, Blurr, Roadbuster, Inferno, Hoist, Getaway, Joyride, Slapdash, Outback, Grimlock, Snarl and the Protectobots.

They all were some of the last of their kind, a few of the survivors out of the once over a billion members of the cybertronian race.

Many of them had died during the battles against Unicron, others through the nine million years of war. Now were only few cybertronians left, but the few were still fighting each other.

The coming confrontation that they were discussing now was the final outcome of something that had been in development for the last 24 years, beginning with Optimus and Megatron´s meeting with a young Autobot named Hotrod.

It was a secret plan that had been in the making for the last two and a half decades.

"This is what our scouts have reported", Optimus Prime announced.

As a screen before them was activated it showed a part of the surface of the Earth´s Moon and towering above it a large metallic object.

It was a giant building in the shape of a pyramid, still under construction.

"I think some of you recognize the basics of this object?" He asked.

"The time-machine", Ironhide said.

"Correct", Optimus replied, "according to Wheeljack the designs are the same, but this model is millions of times larger."

"Are this the Constructicons?" Hoist asked. They had not been seen or heard of for some time now.

"Indeed", Optimus replied. The Autobots had gotten a clear identification of the construction team.

"Could they have been working on this the entire time?" Ultra Magnus suggested.

"It is possible", the Autobot leader answered. "But the question we should ask is another one. Twenty four Earth years ago we had gotten an impression about the smaller time-travel device. Now imagine what this machine can do.

And it is in Megatron´s hands", he added.

"The latest actions of the Decepticons never made sense to us", Ultra Magnus pointed out. "They attacked unprovoked civilian targets without without any visible motivation or gain. Five larger Earth cities and several smaller settlements had been destroyed, all on the North American continent, with other words the area where we are located."

"Are you suggesting that it had all only been a diversion?" Optimus asked him.

"We have at least to consider the possibility."

"No, you are right. He had done all that only to distract us from his true aim, for this he has killed millions of innocents. All this to keep us from finding out about that." He gestured to the screen.

Megatron had gone too far, Optimus thought silently, much too far. It was time now to stop him.

xxxxxxx

_Nearly completed pyramid on the Moon´s surface, current Decepticon base_

Soundwave was watching the Constructicons trying to finish their work in a hurry.

He saw Megatron standing with a grim face in the center of the new secret weapon that was also serving as a temporally base.

For years they had kept this project a secret, but this time was now over.

It was save to assume that the Autobots knew of their location now and what they were doing.

Soundwave remembered what had happened.

xxx

_A few hours earlier_

The two Autobots in car form were fleeing from the heavy fire of their pursuers. They were driving at high-speed over the gashed lunar landscape.

Hound and Bumblebee had been sent to a mission to scout the system for Decepticon activity, one of many.

They had found more than they had hoped for.

The green jeep was hit in the side by a laser blast and lost control.

"Hound", Bumblebee shouted as he saw his partner nearly crash at one of the rocks at the side of their path.

It was not even 15 earth minutes ago that they had found the nearly finished pyramid and now they were being hunted down by several squads of seekers and Megatron himself.

"Bumblebee, contact headquarters and send a message. Optimus needs to know about what we have found."

"I am already doing that", the yellow beetle replied. "Come on Hound, we have to get out of here."

"It is too late", the green Autobot replied. He transformed and got ready to face their pursuers.

"Go, I will hold them off", he said.

"What?" Bumblebee yelled in surprise.

"I am too damaged, can not drive. You will never made it with me. We are both finished if you try to help me, go now", Hound screamed.

He activated his projector and next to him appeared a dozen holograms of himself, decoys to confuse the Decepticons.

The seekers were in reach. Dirge, Skywarp and Darkwing were coming in.

"Okay", Bumblebee finally gave in. "I will go now."

He changed into his car mode and drove of as fast as he could.

But he didn´t came far. They were surrounded by enemies, he realized. It was too late. Bumblebee transformed into robot mode to fight back, he knew he had no other choice.

The fire of the Cons went to the greatest part into empty space, hitting only through the holograms.

Above them however a single projectile was making it´s way through the skirmish, right to it´s target.

Skywarp had fired one of his heat seeking missiles that ignored the holograms and went straight for the real Hound. Here out in space the chance of it missing was next to zero.

The Autobot was hit and thrown to the ground. Hound could barely stand up, he had already been damaged before.

He saw the Decepticon leader landing before them.

"You got me Skywarp", he murmured. "But **we** got you Megatron", he said louder. "Prime knows about your little secret here."

One moment later Megatron´s fusion cannon ended his life.

xxx

Bumblebee saw Megatron, Skywarp, Dirge and Darkwing standing over his fallen partner.

Before he could feel grieve, before he could even think of anything else, he himself was struck by a laser blast.

"You should have better watched out Autobot." He heard a cold voice as he was lying on the moon´s surface.

Bumblebee recognized the robot, Cyclonus, one of Unicron´s creations.

"But I fear you won´t have the chance anymore", the Decepticon said as he draw his gun and fired.

xxx

"Dirge." They heard the Decepticon leader´s angry voice.

"Yes Megatron?" He asked nervously.

"This Autobots were able to make a call back to their base."

"That is not my fault", the seeker replied. "I had no way to jam their senders."

Megatron grabbed him by the throat.

"They should have never seen the machine in the first place. You had been placed on guard. Thanks to your failure the Autobots have found out about my plans that I could keep from them for 20 years", he growled

He slammed the robot into a close rock formation and pointed his weapon at him.

"Megatron, I am sorry. It won´t happen again", Dirge stammered desperately.

"No, it won´t", the Decepticon leader said as he activated his fusion gun.

The others watched in shock as the blast burned into the seeker´s spark chamber and ripped his head off.

"So, now that we had this done, back to base", Megatron said. "We have to prepare for the Autobots arrival."

xxxxxxx

_Now_

He had changed, Soundwave thought about his commander and not for the better. His execution of Dirge was only one last example.

He watched the group of Decepticons in close distance standing together. Skywarp, loyal member of Megatron´s inner circle and a close ally since the beginning of the war. He put for the most part up the front of someone who took nothing seriously, but he was still one of the last people around that Soundwave actually trusted.

Darkwing and Dreadwind, two other seekers who he had only met after their re-awakening on Earth. That meant he barely knew them except of what he could read from their minds.

Runabout and Runamuck, two fighters with car alt-mode. There was nothing seriously wrong about them, there was however nothing seriously right about them either. They had originally joined the Decepticon army because they had nothing better to do and because they hoped for the chance for a few fights. Or to say it in other words, they were two thugs, only in for the chance for a brawl.

At least by now this two seemed to have developed at least some loyalty into the cause. But it still didn´t mean they were exemplary soldiers now.

and Cyclonus and Scourge.

Soundwave had to admit it bothered him to see the two unicronian creations standing between the other warriors. The Decepticons were in desperate need of troops, but he still didn´t like it.

He didn´t trust them and when the black seeker looked at him, he knew that the other mech shared his misgivings about this two.

xxx

Skywarp realized that Soundwave had caught him starring at the two unicronians, not that he particular cared. Mistrust against Cyclonus and Scourge was wide-spread among the army.

This two had been part of a interstellar long-range patrol. But since their encounter with the Chaos Bringer they were not longer the same.

According to people who had known their former selves their personalities had completely changed, were somehow twisted. They were not longer normal Decepticon warriors anymore.

To put it short they were cruel, single minded, uncaring, bloodthirsty and cold like ice.

It didn´t seem to matter for them who they killed, Autobots, humans or Decepticons, as long as they could do it.

They had been fighting alongside Unicron against the rest of the Transformers, they actually helped him to destroy Cybertron. Still Megatron had accepted them with open arms.

For millions of years he had followed his leader loyally, fighting the war, enjoying life whenever he could and trusting in Megatron. Because Megatron had freed him from his original pointless existence, because he had led them to glory and gave his life a sense.

But there were moments, moments like this, where he asked himself if all that was really worth it.

There were rumors going on under the troops that Megatron was going insane and given his latest actions even Skywarp was not longer entire sure that they were wrong.

"It is just all no fun anymore", he murmured, "right Soundwave?"

xxxxxxx

_Autobot-city Earth_

"Autobots", Optimus announced, "you have all known that it would come to this. The day is finally here.

Megatron had crossed the line.

After the destruction of our home-planet there were not many of us left. Silently we all hoped it was over and we could finally live in peace, but as it turned out it was still not enough for our enemy.

In the last years Megatron had destroyed millions of lives. Seemingly careless his troops had wiped out entire cities without military reason.

Now he has his hands on a technology that could make him even more dangerous than ever before.

There is no longer time for discussion or hesitation. We have to put a stop to this once and for all", Optimus Prime declared.

"Autobots, today we will strike back."

His words were answered with cheers and applause from his troops.

In the last years they had all seen the destruction caused on Earth and the death of even more of their fellow Autobots and they were unable to stop it.

Optimus was right, they had all hoped the war would be over. But it had not been over, the war had escalated.

"Get ready", the Autobot leader said. "We are starting in one hour Earth time."

As his words ended the others were walking out to prepare themselves for the battle, last check-ups, recharging weaponry, studying the plan and waiting.

"Magnus", he said as he saw the other Autobots leaving, "wait a moment, there is something I have to discuss with you."

"Yes Prime?"

The two old friends were looking each other in the eyes. Ultra Magnus was already suspecting what Optimus would tell him.

"I want you to stay here."

"You are going against Megatron´s entire remaining army. You will need me."

"There is something more important to do for you. You have to wait for somebody who will arrive shortly.

You remember what date we have?"

Ultra Magnus nodded. "But there are others you can leave to wait for him."

"Magnus, you are the only one who knows all what is needed to and only you are the one I trust completely with this", Optimus said.

"If you are really sure about this, I will stay."

"And there is something else I want to give you", the Autobot leader told him.

He opened his chest plate and took the glowing object out.

"The Matrix, Optimus, you, you think you will not come back?"

"We have to always accept that possibility, but this time I want to make sure it is in the right hands."

xxxxxxx

Far away from Earth in space another robot had arrived at his destination.

The Fallen was floating before the giant wreck that was the mortal shell of his master.

What he was feeling was conflicted.

On the one side he was angry about their failure, on the other it was reassuring for a small part of him to be reminded that Unicron could be stopped, even if only temporary.

The Fallen knew all too well, despite the long time he had been following him loyally, that Unicron´s and his own ultimate goals were not necessary the same.

"Master", he called out.

Despite the heavy damage he was perfectly aware that the Chaos Bringer´s mind inside the body was still intact. Over time he would be able to find a way to repair the damage.

"Fallen." He heard Unicron´s voice. The giant before him came to life.

"It is good to see you in person again my master, after only hearing your voice for so long."

"Indeed", Unicron replied. "I remember your attempt to destroy Optimus Prime and the Matrix, your **failed** attempt."

The accusation in his words was unmistakable.

One moment later he felt the pain ripping through his systems. The agony was immense, the only thing that kept him upright was his pride.

"I failed my master. I was about to destroy the Matrix but", he paused, struggling with the anger over his defeat and his own pain. "I let them stop me. I have no excuse."

"Yes", the Chaos Bringer said. "You are right, you have none. You have failed me. The only reason you are not suffering even more is that this situation might still turn out favorable to us."

You mean the reason is that you are a helpless wreck now and that you **need** me, The Fallen thought in a shielded part of his mind.

"What are your plans master?" he asked loud.

"Much had happened while you were gone Fallen. You should be aware that this is not this reality like it should be. The time-stream had been altered."

"So the new time-travel technology has been used", The Fallen remarked.

"Had been or will be used", Unicron explained, "for the mortals a matter of perspective, for us however without meaning. Important for us is only one thing. What we have always been looking for is in our reach."

"A way to completely reform the universe", The Fallen said.

"Or to destroy it", The Chaos Bringer replied.

xxxxxxx

_On Earth_

Miles away from the other Autobots Hotrod was driving over one of the roads of the West Coast, heading in the direction of Autobot city.

At the first place he crossed after his arrival he tried to find out the exact date. It was the same as he found out, the 30th December 2011.

But he realized very quickly that something was absolutely not right.

The more he saw and the more he heard over the radio, the more worried he became.

He had stumbled over reports about entire towns being destroyed in Decepticon attacks, about an onslaught of attacks in the last months.

Hotrod knew wherever he was, it was not the year 2011 he came from.

* * *

**Side-note:** The Cyclonus and Scourge in this time-line are not created from Skywarp and Thundercracker or any other named character.

Their personalities are completely different from the normal ones. The corruption of their programing and minds planted by Unicron that was mentioned in the earlier chapters of this story was in their case successfull, like hinted by Soundwave´s and Skywarp´s thoughts here. So they basically became two killing machines.


	19. last battle

**Chapter 19**

The Autobots had arrived on the Earth trabant. Two shuttles were landing at the Moon´s surface.

They were only in a few miles distance to the Decepticon´s location.

Their strike force consisted of some of the best Autobots that were left. The rests of the Arc-crew and of the Wreckers, the Dinobots and with the Protectobots the last of their combiner teams.

All of them were departing the shuttles and getting prepared for the coming fight.

They were all aware that Megatron probably already knew they were here.

It didn´t really matter. Since they have lost Bumblebee and Hound the Decepticons would be warned that they were coming.

"Autobots", Optimus Prime ordered, "transform."

Their convoy was driving in the direction they knew the Decepticons would be, probably awaiting them.

xxx

Megatron´s troops had assembled in front of the pyramid, in some distance. He didn´t want his prized new item to be damaged in the coming fight.

Beside the Decepticon leader himself it were Soundwave, Skywarp, Blitzwing, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Cyclonus, Scourge, Darkwing, Dreadwind, the Constructicons and the Combaticons, Runabout, Runamuck, Battletrap, Flywheels, Krok, Slugslinger, Triggerhappy, Misfire and two other seekers, some of the few remaining of their once giant army.

But even that would play no role anymore if their plan would succeed.

They had prepared the ambush and their enemies would walk right into it, because they had simply no other choice.

At the horizon, on the barren landscape before them, they could see the incoming formation of Autobots.

"Decepticons", Megatron shouted the command, "fire."

xxx

As the first laser blasts started to hit the ground between their wheels the Autobots began to transform into robot-mode.

They had drawn their guns. Some of them were trying to get cover behind some of the larger rocks. Others were still attempting to lower the distance between them and the Decepticons.

The battle had started, the one that they all had known was unavoidable.

Getaway, Joyride and Slapdash were holding a line against their enemies.

Darkwing and Dreadwind were closing up on them in jet form.

In front of the Autobots Rumble and Frenzy caused a miniature earthquake that broke off their lines.

xxx

The Combaticons and the Constructicons merged to form Bruticus and Devastator. In opposite to them the Protectobots did the same thing.

The one Autobot gestalt was standing against the two Decepticons, but Defensor was being backed up by a number of regular sized fighters.

xxx

The trio of Slugslinger, Triggerhappy and Misfire was one of the strangest air-groups in existence.

While his two partners were experienced veterans and dangerous fighters Misfire had barely made it through the academy. His given name was to be taken literally. The only reason he was even accepted into the army was the need for soldiers.

Still they were fighting as a team now and in jet-mode targeting robots on the ground.

Slugslinger and Triggerhappy had cornered the two Autobots Blurr and Pipes.

xxx

At the other end of the battlefield Blitzwing rolled in his tank form in the direction of a small crowd of Autobots, firing his main cannon at them.

One of his blasts hit the Autobot Hubcap into the head that exploded into a burst of shrapnel.

As the dead mech fell however his comrades returned fire and concentrated it on the triple changer who was forced to transform back into robot mode.

"Blitzwing." He heard somebody yell his name. Instantly he recognized his new opponent, Roadbuster.

The large robot was one of the strongest Autobots in existence and a very dangerous warrior.

Roadbuster smashed his fists into his chest plate and shattered it. But Blitzwing wasn´t a harmless cybertronian either and fought back.

He draw his hand blaster and fired, but only managed to blow a part out of his opponent´s shoulder.

Only a moment later however Roadbuster repeatedly shot his own weapon. The blasts pierced through his already weakened armor into his spark chamber and killed the Decepticon triple-changer.

xxx

Grimlock, Sludge and Snarl were shooting their way through the enemy troops. They were all what was left of the Dinobots, Slag and Swoop having been lost in the battle against Unicron.

The Dinobot leader placed a shot at a Decepticon in front of them before their group simultaneously transformed into their dinosaur-modes.

One seeker was heading for them and firing missiles. The three Dinobots however opened their mouths and fired burning plasma at the attacking Decepticon who exploded in mid-air.

xxx

Skywarp teleported across the lines of the Autobots and took aim. His blasts hit between a group of three robots consisting of Seaspray, Hoist and Ratchet and forcing them backwards.

A second later he teleported again, out of the range of his enemies.

xxx

Scourge and Cyclonus were roaming over the area like two predators, watching for the most promising Autobot to attack. As they saw a fitting target they struck.

They robot they had chosen as their prey was the Autobot scout Outback. Cyclonus fired and struck the robot in the shoulder. A second blast from Scourge finished what he started and killed the damaged fighter.

"A good shot", Cyclonus commented.

"Thank you", Scourge replied, grinning.

The two unicronians turned around, they had already made out another target.

xxx

Pipes fell under Slugslinger´s and Triggerhappy´s combined fire. Blurr however was just too quick for them and evaded their shots. He was the fastest cybertronian in existence and that for a reason.

All his reflexes had been far augmented during his creation, that however had the side-effect that all his functions seemed to be permanently being in fast mode, something that often had the effect to disturb his ability to work with others on a daily basis.

Misfire used this chance for his own attack. But of course like his more skilled and experienced comrades, he failed.

His laser missed Blurr´s head by more than a meter and gave the Autobot racer every chance to counterattack.

Before he had the chance to this however Blurr was hit into the side by a shot from someone else.

Scourge was one of the best trackers ever been created. His sensors were so advanced that he literally could see people walking around on another planet, so he was able to follow the movements of the super-fast Autobot easily and his blast threw Blurr to the ground.

As the injured robot struggled to get up he was looking right into the guns of Slugslinger and Triggerhappy.

"Going somewhere Autobot?" one of them asked.

In the moment the two Decepticons fired their weapons he knew he had no chance.

As they turned away from the fallen Autobot they were already under attack themselves again.

It had turned quickly into the most brutal battle for a long time. But that was no real surprise, given what was at stake.

xxx

Optimus was standing in the middle of the battlefield. Both forces were nearly evenly matched.

He knew what he had to do. His part was to get to Megatron, to confront him.

He remembered the last conversation he had with Ultra Magnus.

xxx

"_Tell me one thing Magnus", he asked, "do you think I have failed?_

"_Failed? How can you say that? You have been our leader for a hundred thousand vorn, you have done more for us than anybody else."_

"_Please Magnus, you are not one of these so blinded by their loyalty that they don´t longer see what is right before their eyes._

_Tell me, where exactly have I __**not**__ failed?_

_I wasn´t able to prevent Cybertron´s destruction,_

_I wasn´t able to prevent the destruction of these cities on Earth _

_and I hadn´t been able to stop Megatron for millions of years._

_What about Cronus? Had I been able to see through his deception Elita could still be alive. How many others had died because I let him infiltrate the Autobots?"_

"_Don´t beat yourself up about the past Optimus. It wasn´t your fault, you had not known."_

"_That is easy to say Magnus. Fact is it was my duty but I was not able to stop even a single one of this disasters from happening. That means I have failed. But I won´t again. I will do now that I should have years ago. _

_We both know there is a good chance that I will not come back alive Magnus. You and me, we both have a good idea what he is planning and that he needs to be stopped. Goodbye old friend", Optimus said._

"_Goodbye Orion", Ultra Magnus answered._

xxx

Optimus knew what he had to do. He began to fight his way to the Decepticon leader.

One Decepticon, he recognized him as the triple-changer Battletrap, draw a gun at him but he was quicker. Two shots from his gun burned into the robots spark chamber and through his body.

Another life lost, a part of him thought silently. But he couldn´t change it. This was a war and he was about to end it.

Optimus continued to shoot his way through every Decepticon who stood between him and Megatron.

xxxxxxx

_Autobot-city Earth_

Hotrod had arrived. He was just rolling down the final road that led to the Autobot headquarters on Earth.

Once again he saw at the first look that things were absolutely not right. The city showed battle damage and the walls signs of laser fire. But he knew that it had not been attacked in the last five years.

As he had reached the ramp that led to the main entrance, he transformed into and took a closer look.

As he was walking inside he was greeted by a voice he knew all too well.

"Ultra Magnus", he said with barely concealed excitement, "it is good to see a known face."

"Hotrod", Magnus greeted him, remembering the version of the robot from their time-line.

"I hope you can tell me what is going on here." He had a uneasy feeling that this was not the Ultra Magnus he was knowing, but at least he had found another Autobot.

"Yes, I think I have a good idea", Magnus replied as he was leading the younger Autobot inside.

xxxxxxx

_Moon surface_

At the same time on the moon, the battle was continuing.

Cyclonus was locked into close combat with the Dinobot leader Grimlock, the destroyed chassis of Sludge was lying next to them.

Close to them Springer was fighting Scourge. The triple-changer attacked the Decepticon with his sword but the tracker managed to keep him at distance.

During the struggle Springer was suddenly attacked from the side. Ravage, he recognized the metallic jaguar. The predator had bitten into his arm and caused a deeper wound.

But he managed to throw the cassette off and killed Soundwave´s feline minion with a blast into the head.

With that however he had opened himself to Scourge who dealt a hard blow to him.

xxx

Getaway and the Duocon Flywheels were firing at each other from a short distance. The truth was both of them would have rather been somewhere else.

Both of them had in their own way long lost their faith in the sense of this war. Their home-world Cybertron was gone and only a few of both sides were still alive. They had seen entire worlds destroyed and billions die, but had reached nothing in the process.

But they were still here because of the fact that they had nothing else, combined with a sense of loyalty and that caused them to fight each other now.

Both of them draw their guns and fired.

Getaway was the one who was quicker. His first blast hit Flywheels in the chest and he continued to shoot until the Decepticon sank down.

His eyes met the smoking body for a short moment. He knew this could as easily been his own and that the other warrior had not been thinking so differently from him.

But suddenly, before he could do anything, he himself was hit by a blast in the back ad fell next to his destroyed opponent.

xxx

Darkwing and Dreadwind had merged into their combined jet-mode and were concentrating their full fire-power on the two Autobots Slapdash and Joyride who had taken cover behind a larger rock formation and were themselves trying to bring shots on.

They finally succeeded in breaking the combiner jet apart, but the two Decepticons were now attacking them independently again.

xxx

Optimus was standing before a group of Decepticons consisting of Runabout, Runamuck and Krok who were blocking his way. Against three robots at once he knew, it was even for him a hard fight.

He fired his weapon and hit Runamuck what caused his partner to attack him angrily. But before his opponent reached him the Decepticon was himself hit by a missile. The Autobot leader saw that it was Wheeljack who was backing him up.

"I will do this Prime", the Autobot scientist said as he confronted Krok.

Optimus nodded before the transformed in his truck-mode and drove further in full speed.

xxx

Slugslinger, Triggerhappy and Misfire were now fighting with the Autobots Hoist, Ratchet and Inferno.

While Misfire was caught by a head-shot and destroyed, Ratchet was at the same time hit by several blasts from Triggerhappy and went down too. Both robots were dead before they touched the ground.

This caused their comrades only to go against each other even harder.

xxx

The gestalt warriors Defensor and Bruticus were still struggling with each other. Both had already taken significant damage, were however still evenly matched.

In the end Defensor was able to bring on a shot from his gun that hit Bruticus right arm that was formed by the Combaticon Blast-Off and broke through the weakened armor.

The resulting explosion ripped the arm off, killing the single Decepticon in the process.

Through Blast Off´s loss however, a chain reaction was caused in the combined system of the Combaticons that brought the gestalt to fall apart.

But only seconds later the damaged Defensor was struck by Devastator and broke apart too.

xxx

The Decepticon leader was involved in a fight with a group of Autobots.

Ironhide, Roadbuster and Seaspray had him circled and were trying to find a opening. Their shots caused barely even minor damage.

"We will get you Megatron", Ironhide yelled.

"Too overconfident as always Autobot", the Decepticon responded casually. He just raised his fusion cannon and fired.

The blast hit Roadbuster, ripped through and destroyed his upper body and killed him.

Ironhide and Seaspray were suddenly under fire from the side. Darkwing and Dreadwind were charging at the two Autobots.

The Deception leader only laughed as he saw the out-breaking fight that rid him of two opponents.

"Megatron", he heard a well known voice addressing him and turned around.

"Prime", he greeted the Autobot Commander, "how good to see you." He smirked.

"I am here to stop you Megatron. You have gone too far."

"Don´t you see Optimus?", the Decepticon leader replied. "I can bring Cybertron back to us. I can negate all the damage that had been made."

"To what price? Your rule over the universe? Terror and destruction for everyone else? I have seen what you are capable of. For the longest time Megatron, you had been a warlord, striving for conquest and your idea of glory. But in the last years you have turned into something else, something far worse. This ends here and now."

"What I have done will sell out in the end, but you will not longer be there to see it", he answered.

He fired his weapon again, this time aiming at Optimus.

The Autobot leader could dodge the shot, but it gazed his shoulder. Then he used his own gun and fired back. The first of Optimus shots missed, the second only hit Megatron in the side.

In the next moment the Decepticon had bridged the distance between them and they switched to hand to hand combat. The two warriors exchanged heavy blows that left dents and bruises in their armor and metallic skin.

xxx

Seaspray´s body literally exploded under the concentrated fire of the two Decepticons. That caused Ironhide to counter-attack angrily. Several of his shots hit Dreadwind and send him crashing down.

What he didn´t see was Cyclonus flying behind him and taking aim.

xxx

Soundwave was standing far behind in the battle-lines and was guarding the entrance of the base. The wreck of an Autobot who had been coming too close was lying next to him.

From here he was overseeing the battle. So far no side had gained a real advantage. But he knew that for the success of Megatron´s plan it was enough when the Autobots were stopped from taking the machine, even if every other Decepticon died, not that he was happy about it.

Still he had however felt the death of Ravage that was a personal loss.

He realized that Scourge had approached and was landing right next to him.

"Purpose for your presence?" Soundwave asked him monotonously, not showing his distaste for the unicronian in any way.

"I wanted to report that the battle is going in our favor", Scourge said.

xxx

"You have destroyed too much, you have killed too many Megatron, this needs to end now", Optimus told him.

"Whoever I kill, whatever I destroy will play no role when I have succeeded. Everything that happened will cease to be then."

"Yes, I know what you are planning and I cannot allow this."

"You won´t have a choice", Megatron said as he gained the upper hand for a moment and smashed the Autobot leader down.

Then something happened that nobody had anticipated.

Megatron was struck by a blast in his back. Optimus saw Cyclonus floating above them who had discharged his gun and was now firing again.

xxx

Soundwave barely registered the blast that hit him until he sank to his knees. Scourge, he realized, Scourge had shot him.

He had anticipated some sort of betrayal by the unicronians, but not something like this.

Soundwave was unable to read the thoughts of a Unicron creation, he knew this. That was his weakness, he was so used to knowing the thoughts of others that this had caught him completely off-guard. He thought this just before Scourge fired again.

xxx

Optimus saw his old enemy falling down under a number of blasts. This, he had to admit, took him completely by surprise.

He saw the lights in Megatron´s eyes becoming dark.

xxxxxxx

_Autobot city Earth_

Hotrod and Ultra Magnus were now inside the control center of Autobot city, the same room where Optimus had instructed his warriors for the battle only a few hours earlier.

"Tell me Hotrod, how is the world you came from?" he asked.

"Not like this one, I can tell you that."

"I guessed. I know you are not the Hotrod from this world because I knew him and I saw him die."

"How?"

"He saved Optimus from an assassination attempt but was caught himself in the process."

"I understand." It was pure irony, he thought, remembering how he had once failed to do the same thing.

"Can you tell me what you think had happened?" the younger Autobot asked.

"It is a long story, very long indeed. First you should know Cybertron is gone. It was destroyed six years ago by Unicron."

"This is not the way it is in my world. Unicron was stopped before he could devour our planet. Two years later the Decepticons agreed to a truce and we are living for five years more or less in peace."

"That sounds too good to be true." Ultra Magnus laughed bitter. "We also had five years of peace you know? After we had finally managed to put a stop to Unicron the Decepticons had practically disappeared.

But around one year ago they suddenly came back and began to destroy everything in their wake, one Earth city after the other. Our species is now nearly extinct. There are only a few dozen cybertronians left and before this day is over maybe not even that."

"By the Matrix", Hotrod murmured.

"Tell me", Magnus asked him, "do you know when we had first met the Decepticon called Galvatron?"

"At least in my world it had been in the Earth year 2005", Hotrod answered. "After the engagement that became known as the battle of Autobot city. He is leading the Cons in my time."

"As I thought", Ultra Magnus replied. "What would you say when I told you that I first met Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge 9 million years ago on Cybertron?"

Hotrod looked for a moment visible surprised before he caught himself.

Despite everything Ultra Magnus had to suppress a smile when he saw the young Autobot´s face.

"I would ask you to tell me more", Hotrod finally answered.

Ultra Magnus nodded.

"It was shortly after the beginning of the Great War that this three Decepticons first appeared", he began to explain. "Nobody knew what they wanted or even knew their names.

The strangest part was that Galvatron actually had a hand in my creation. He, Cyclonus and Scourge rescued my personality core from a Decepticon prison transport and brought me to Alpha Trion.

And if that wasn´t enough, Cyclonus had saved Elita One from being accidentally destroyed during the first battle of Kalis.

On they other hand they destroyed other Autobots without a second thought. It was nearly as if they knew who had to live and who not."

"To preserve the time-line", Hotrod remarked.

"Indeed", Magnus replied. "After the Kalis battle Galvatron and his followers had vanished. They were not seen again until 9 million years later.

Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge appeared again in the year 1987. They attacked us multiple times and tried to take over the Decepticons."

"1987", Hotrod murmured tone-less. That was just one year after the time he just came from.

"It was then when we found out what they were. They claimed to be time-travelers from the future, from the Earth year 2005 and they said that they were trying to prepare us for a coming threat."

"Unicron."

"Yes, strangely none of them showed any sign that they remembered our meetings in the past", Ultra Magnus explained to him, letting the implications of what he said hanging in the air.

"Six years ago we then found then out what exactly Cyclonus and Scourge truly were."

"Reformated Transformers, by Unicron from already existing Decepticons", Hotrod answered for him.

"Yes, in the year 2005 Unicron found a patrol of Decepticons and formed them into Cyclonus, Scourge and a few others shortly before his attack on our planet, only Galvatron was missing. Galvatron, he is Megatron isn´t he?"

"He was", Hotrod replied, giving his confirmation.

"We have already thought that, this explains a lot. This world here Hotrod is not the one where Galvatron came from and it is not yours and it is certainly not the universe as it should be.

If you hadn´t appeared in 1987, if Galvatron had not tried to manipulate the past several times, our world had been influenced by time-travel more times than I can count."

"There is something else you need to know about. Optimus had told you about the creature named Cabal", Ultra Magnus reminded him.

"Yes", Hotrod answered, "and I have already met him. He offered me the usual thing, power, revenge on my enemies."

"You have? Then you should know this. The first time we met this creature was about 100 years after the beginning of the war and our first confrontation with Galvatron.

At this time Cybertron crossed the space of another planet and we and the Decepticons both tried to investigate it. The world that we found was dead and most soldiers who had set foot on it didn´t come back."

"What happened?"

"The natives of this planet, as we found out, had performed an experiment that had opened a gate to another dimension and something from there came through to our world.

We didn´t knew back then what kind of a creature had entered our universe. It was a being of pure energy, it was able to manipulate the minds of living beings, reform matter by it´s design and even influence the structure of our reality.

It lived and existed only to manipulate and destroy and it wanted to use us to get to other worlds to spread it´s influence to the rest of the galaxy.

We have given this entity the name Cabal. In the end we were able to escape and we left the creature behind on the planet. We had hoped that he would be staying trapped on the world he had destroyed, but later it seems he was able to escape from there."

"And now he is back?" Hotrod asked him.

"Yes, a short time after you were send to this future, he appeared again. Since then however, he had not been seen again."

"What is this `Cabal´ up to? What does he want now? Why has he not gotten active?"

"We are not sure. You in every case should be careful. The way you described your meeting with him, it is the usual way he manipulates somebody, he makes promises, gives you what you want, shows you what you fear, all to get into your head."

"Okay, thank you for the warning", Hotrod replied.

"Cronus told us that Cabal was after the time-travel technology that you had brought into the year 1987", Magnus pointed out.

"We have only Cronus word for this and as we know now he had only been the cover identity for one of Unicron´s heralds all along, not exactly a trustworthy source and why would a creature like that need a time-machine anyway?"

"That may be but there is one more thing you should know about the time-travel device that you have brought into the past.

Stored in it where the plans for a second, similar machine, a far larger one and far more powerful."

"The pyramid", Hotrod realized, remembering the large construct that had suddenly appeared in space in his year 2011.

"We believe it is a machine that can control time and space itself."

"And Megatron has the plans for it", Hotrod said.

"Worse", Ultra Magnus told him, "he had built it."

* * *

**Author´s note:** Ultra Magnus is describing the events that had happened in the story "Nightmare" during the last part of this chapter.


	20. circles

**Chapter 20**

Outside of all this the creature known as Cabal was thinking about the situation that was to the greatest part created by his own hand.

He remembered how this events had played out the first time around. That time he had only been a passive observer. This had been by Earth standards in the year 1987.

He knew by the understanding of time and space of species like the cybertronians and the humans that he himself, in his present incarnation, would have come from the year 2011, just like the Autobot Hotrod.

In his original state, a long time ago, he had not been used to the flow of time in this reality. But over the ages he had been here he came to terms with it and even managed to use it to his advantage.

When Hotrod had been send back he had secretly traveled with him to help to set things into motion.

The universe where he originally came from was a world of chaos and destruction. It was a realm completely unlike the world how this life-forms knew it.

The creation of energy, atoms and molecules, matter and finally life was there turned into it´s complete opposite. Everything that developed, everything that came to exist had there only the single purpose to be destroyed and consumed.

This universe was inhabited and controlled by a single intelligence, a malevolent intelligence that existed only for the sake of destruction.

It was a sentient energy that filled it´s entire cosmos and was ruling it´s course. Stars came into being only to go nova micro-seconds later, time flew forward only to stand still in the next moment.

Without pause it was creating only to destroy, uniting only to rip apart, forming only to undo it, time- and endless.

Once it had been different, an eternity ago actual creation and actual life existent in that universe, before the super-intelligence, before he had obliterated it all, the suns and planets, the life, even space and time itself as it had been known.

Since then it had been clawing on the borders of it´s reality, craving to consume more, to reach the other universes and bring them annihilation like it did with it´s own.

And it got it´s wish fulfilled, but in a completely different way as it had expected.

He remembered the experiment that this creatures from this universe had performed. Their actions had ripped open a hole between their reality and his own and a small part of the entity that was ruling the other cosmos came through and was then separated from the main being.

He remembered how he arrived in this universe, being alone, cut off from the rest of himself.

That was how "he", the entity that later came to calling itself Cabal, came to be in his current form.

And he did what was natural to him, he reached out and destroyed the beings who populated that planet.

Only a short time later it was nothing but a lifeless desert, walked upon only by a few twisted creatures he had formed. He had done his best to turn that world into a replica of his home-dimension. Then for some time there was nothing.

It were over ten stellar-circles until other visitors appeared. The cybertronians however turned out to be more dangerous opponents than he had expected, in first line their source of life-energy, the Matrix did.

It turned out to be one of the few things in this universe that could truly challenge him.

In the end they were able to leave the planet and he was left behind. He had staid there for what seemed an eternity to him until after a long time he had found another chance to leave.

A ship of space explorers from another alien race had landed on the dead world and became his way to access to the rest of this universe.

But soon he had to realize that he was only a shadow of what he once was. Here, trapped in this other dimension away from the eternal chaos that was his source of life, his power had diminished over the millennia.

Even the energy he had gained from slaughtering the space-ship crew had not been enough to restore him.

He had no longer the power to destroy his enemies in this world by himself and he was not able to return to his own.

But over time he had found another way.

xxxxxxx

Hotrod and Ultra Magnus were close to arriving on the Moon. They were flying a small, two mechanoid sized, shuttle-pod that the strike force had left behind in Autobot city.

On their way Magnus had further instructed his new partner about the situation.

By that chance, they were also discussing other differences between their time-lines.

"Beside Megatron it are in first line Cyclonus and Scourge you have to look out for", Ultra Magnus told him. "By what you have told me they are just as powerful as the versions from your world, but far more cruel and vicious."

He remembered his first meeting with the two unicronians.

xxx

_They and a few of their fellow Unicron creations were attacking a human town, burning entire blocks of buildings, randomly shooting people on the streets._

_Like he had learned later it was all only a ploy to lure Optimus out, to get their hands on the Matrix._

_He remembered them "fighting", no, more likely hunting for sport, Autobots, Decepticons and humans alike. The lives that they took were nothing to them._

xxx

They had arrived. Their shuttle was landing close to the coordinates Optimus had given to them.

"This is it", Ultra Magnus said, "if everything went as planned we should be able to get to the machine without greater problems."

"Then lets hope that it went as planned", Hotrod replied.

"Megatron would have placed a small army of Decepticons between us and the time-machine. Optimus and the others have gone to take care of this."

The two Autobots transformed and drove over the lunar surface.

After only a few minutes, as they had come closer to their destination, they had a better idea of what was awaiting them.

Before them was lying a seemingly endless field of the dead and mangled bodies of destroyed Transformers, Autobots and Decepticons alike. To that came that they actually recognized the most of the wrecks.

Hotrod saw some of his best friends here.

Springer, he noticed the dead body of the triple-changer, Blurr, he realized the racer was under the corpses as they began to cross the former battlefield, Grimlock and his Dinobots, Wheeljack who was also gone in his own world, Outback, Ratchet and many more he had known.

Hound and Bumblebee, as he knew from Magnus report, had already been dead before the battle started.

"By Primus", he said quietly.

"We have to go", Ultra Magnus pointed out.

"You are right. We have to reach the pyramid before anybody else it does or all this here was in vain."

In the distance they saw a large figure kneeling over the ground.

"Optimus", they recognized him.

The Autobot leader, they realized, was taking care of the damaged forms of Ironhide and Hoist.

"You have made it", he greeted the two newcomers. "Hotrod, it is what, 25 Earth years ago?"

"Yes Optimus."

Then they saw another body lying in the place close to them, Megatron.

"What happened here?" Ultra Magnus asked as he saw the damage of the dead Decepticon leader.

"This is what is left of both sides", Optimus said, "most are dead, some may still be alive but injured and unable to move. I think a few surviving Decepticons had been scattered and fled."

"And Megatron?" Magnus wanted to know.

"His own people shot him in the back", Ironhide exclaimed.

"His own people?"

"Cyclonus and Scourge", Optimus stated.

"And now they are trying to take control of the pyramid?" Hotrod suggested.

"Obviously", the Autobot leader replied.

"Then we need to stop them. If it is now Megatron or Cyclonus and Scourge should not really make a difference."

"You think so Autobot?" They heard a voice and the activation of a weapon. Skywarp had appeared behind them with his teleportation, they realized.

"Damn", Ironhide groaned and struggled to get up.

The seeker was pointing his guns at them.

"So you have come too Magnus and I think I recognize you", he said to Hotrod. "I saw you die."

"Well, I have a habit of coming back", the Autobot replied.

"What do you want Skywarp?" Optimus asked him.

"That depends, I have heard you are after Cyclonus and Scourge, so I insist to come with you. I want a shot at this two traitors too. Beside that, this two don´t exactly look as if they could be of much help anymore." He gestured to Hoist and Ironhide.

"Or otherwise we can also kill each other in a last glorious stand-off. What do you say?"

Together they could easily overpower the single seeker, they knew this. But he already had his weapons drawn and they not. Before they could take him down he could cause serious damage to them and possibly kill someone.

On the other side, with them he could be a great help.

"You can not trust this Con Optimus", Ironhide called out.

"No offense", Skywarp replied with a grin, "but if he can trust a loud-mouthed braggart like you to watch his back, I should be a lesser problem."

"You…", Ironhide yelled.

"You can come with us", Optimus replied.

"What? But Prime…"

"We have no time for this Ironhide, we have to go now or all is too late and he is right, we can need him. We don´t know if Cyclonus and Scourge are the only threats we have to face", he said somewhat quieter.

"Then stop wasting time and let us go", Ultra Magnus suggested.

Optimus looked at the two wounded Autobots.

"I am sorry that we have to leave you here. You will be able to take care of yourselves?"

"We can", Hoist replied.

"Just go and save the universe", Ironhide said.

For a short moment Optimus looked at the body of Megatron, his oldest rival and enemy.

They had always been foes, their aims and values the exact opposite to each other, but he also remembered a time when he at some level was actually able to respect Megatron, before he had gone out to sacrifice anybody and anything for a single fixed idea in his head.

Now he was gone, but others were still pursuing what he had started and they had to stop them.

Optimus gaze moved from one member of their small group to the next, Ultra Magnus one of his oldest friends and most trusted officers, the Decepticon Skywarp who had invited himself in and the time traveler.

He hoped that they would be enough. But if they would really have to face Cabal, it wasn´t sure.

They were standing before the giant construction of the pyramid that was placed on the Moon´s surface.

xxxxxxx

Cyclonus and Scourge were about to enter the pyramid. The plan had worked better than they could have hoped for, not Megatron´s but the one of their true master.

As they were about to pass the entrance a large robot materialized before them.

"That was good work you two", The Fallen said.

"You are the herald of our master?" Scourge asked him.

"I am", he answered.

"He has informed us about your coming", Cyclonus told him.

"Good, then let us begin our work now", he replied. He led the other two inside.

xxxxxxx

Optimus thought that he couldn´t help but have a strange feeling in the presence of the young time-traveling Autobot. It was something that was already there when he met him in 1986, but not nearly as strong as now.

He also remembered the Hotrod from his own world, the one who had saved his life once.

That Hotrod had been an a bit reckless but skilled and impressive young Autobot with great potential and his death had been a great loss for them, but this particular feeling had not been there.

It was nearly as if Optimus could feel his presence in his spark, no he realized, in the Matrix.

The Matrix was reacting to him, as if something of the other Autobot draw it to him.

Now Optimus was fully starring at Hotrod. Inside his chest, he felt the Matrix calling.

"You are a Prime", he said in open surprise.

Ultra Magnus and Skywarp were looking equally bewildered.

"What?" Magnus asked.

"The Matrix is attempting to bond with you", Optimus explained.

"This…", Hotrod interrupted himself. "It did this before. This means the Matrix in my world."

Before the eyes of everybody Optimus opened his chest compartment.

"I have a feeling I should give you this", he said as he handed the Matrix to Hotrod.

"Optimus?" He asked wanted to ask the Autobot leader what he was doing.

In the moment the object touched the hands of the younger robot a bright blue light started to radiate from it and as it hit him, Hotrod´s entire body began to change.

He seemed to grow before their eyes and they could see subtle modifications in his body structure. All of them were starring at him in shock, even Optimus, but he didn´t show it.

"Take it, at least for now", he told the robot who had been Hotrod a moment ago and was now as tall as himself.

"You can call me Rodimus Prime", he said.

xxxxxxx

The Fallen was leading Cyclonus and Scourge who were walking closely behind him inside the inner constructions of the pyramid.

They were ready to fulfill the plan.

When Megatron had first got his hands on the new technology he had already realized the possibilities.

In opposite to regular, more primitive and crude, methods of time travel that were already used by cybertronians, this one didn´t merely displaced people into past or future periods, often with barely any control beyond the start.

This form on the other hand offered far more. It was able to send travelers through time and never loose track of them, it could send people into different periods at the same time and then back at will and that was only the beginning.

The larger machine allowed a control over time and space like never seen before and could literally form it at someone´s will.

What was also possible was to reach other universes, parallel time-lines and new dimensions, it was possible to reach not only what was and what will be, but what might have and could be.

"When will our target era be?" Scourge asked their new found leader.

"I have a special destination in my mind", The Fallen replied. "But maybe we should spread our efforts", he said and began to explain his ideas to his underlings.

"None of you moves", they suddenly heard a voice.

Behind them stood the Autobots Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus and Hotrod in a new form. With them was the Decepticon seeker Skywarp. They all had their guns drawn.

"Optimus, how good to see you again", The Fallen addressed him. "As I see you have some more Autobots you want to send to their death."

"You", Optimus growled as he saw the other robot. He remembered how Elita died by his hand, thinking he was an ally, like he himself had foolishly thought for far too long.

"And a new Prime", The Fallen said, "one that I haven´t met before, at least in this form. How is it `brother´, don´t you want to introduce yourself?"

"I am Rodimus Prime. We are here to stop you."

"That is something I have already heard from many others."

"Maybe this time you should listen", Optimus told him. "You are outnumbered and your two allies are weakened from the battle."

"So are you", he replied.

The ancient Prime looked more amused than intimidated. They all knew Optimus confident words were not much more than a bluff. The Fallen was far more powerful than any of them.

They had known the possibility that they would have to face him. He had traveled along with Hotrod to this future. But they had hoped the was still too damaged.

"I have killed many Primes in the past", The Fallen said, "now I have the chance to add two more to the list."

He materialized his laser cannon that he had mounted on his arm and shot at the Autobots.

Optimus, Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and Skywarp reacted instantly and fired back.

After a short struggle their group seemed to be getting the upper hand, but it soon turned out to be a false hope.

"That's enough, fall back", Scourge called out as the two unicronians turned around and were running deeper inside the pyramid.

"They are trying to activate the machine", Rodimus said urgently.

"Indeed", The Fallen confirmed, "and I am making sure that you won´t interfere." He fired a blast at them to hold them back.

Optimus and Ultra Magnus aimed their weapons and shot at him at the same time. Both blasts hit their mark but did not leave more than superficial damage.

After a second however he began to retreat into one of the corridors behind him, only laughing.

"It is too late to stop my two minions now", he told them, "but I am curious how you will react."

A few seconds later he had vanished from sight, disappeared somewhere behind the inner structures of the giant machine.

"Damn", Skywarp yelled.

"Can you teleport?" Optimus asked him.

"Not inside the pyramid, it is somehow distorting time and space", the seeker replied. "I guess that is the reason The Fallen didn´t pull his little trick either."

"We have to go after them", Ultra Magnus said.

xxx

As they had reached the core of the pyramid they entered the wide hall Rodimus remembered from the last time, they could see the large screen at the end of the room and in it´s center the smaller time-travel device with Cyclonus and Scourge standing next to it.

"Cyclonus, stop", Optimus shouted.

"Too late Autobot", the unicronian answered.

Before anybody could react the two were surrounded by a energy sphere and in the next moment they were gone.

"Where are they?" Ultra Magnus asked.

Rodimus approached the machinery before them.

"We can read the displays and control the machine", he explained to them, "no wonder if Megatron had constructed it.

By this data they are", he red the information, "in the year 1987, on Earth."

"1987", Ultra Magnus broke out.

"That is the same year Galvatron´s group appeared", Optimus pointed out.

"They obviously have the same agenda", Rodimus said, "rewriting the past to their own aims."

"Yes but in opposite to the last group they will certainly not help us **against** Unicron", Magnus remarked sarcastically.

They realized that around them more and more of the machinery was coming to live.

"The pyramid has been activated", Optimus realized. "There is no telling how much damage this two are causing to the past. Our world could cease to exist while we are standing here and everything we have done could be senseless."

"Megatron had build this machine, based on designs that Hotrod had accidentally brought from the future in the first place", Ultra Magnus explained.

"At some point in the future Galvatron decides to travel into the past in an attempt to stop Unicron but all he reached was to replace his time-line with our own", Optimus pointed out, "and now the circle starts again." He looked at the place where Cyclonus and Scourge had disappeared a short time earlier.

"We have to stop it once and for all", Ultra Magnus claimed. "This thing here is the source of everything."

"And if we don´t manage to do that in time?" Rodimus asked him. "Cyclonus and Scourge could make everything even worse right now."

"I will follow them", Magnus volunteered. "I will warn you about them in the past Optimus and keep them from causing any more harm."

"Magnus", he said. …"If we succeed…"

"You don´t have to tell me. We knew from the beginning if we succeed our entire world would probably vanish. You don´t have to tell me."

"Okay, then good luck my friend."

"Goodbye Optimus", he replied. "Rodimus", he told the younger Prime, "activate the machine."

As he had dropped a few buttons on the consoles the energy surrounded Ultra Magnus and then he was gone in the same manner as Cyclonus and Scourge.

"He has arrived", Rodimus confirmed a second later.

"Good", Optimus said, "now we will find a way to stop this machine once and for all."

"I fear it is far too late for that Optimus." They heard the voice of The Fallen coming from the other end of the hall. "Cyclonus and Scourge were only a distraction. I have ordered this two into the past because I had hoped you would send someone after them and weaken yourself even further, just as you did. Actually you had no choice, they alone were a threat to your entire reality, right?"

Suddenly the ground began to shake under their feet. The giant machine had now completely come to life.

"We already had programmed the machine for it´s true destination", The Fallen announced. "So your goal to stop it had failed before you even tried."

At the outside the pyramid began to lift off the ground and ascended slowly into space.

xxx

At the inside they realized that they were moving.

The screen before them activated and started to show different scenes. Some were obviously from an old Cybertron, others from different worlds.

Next they saw a group of large robots fighting with each other and in space over them they could see the giant form of Unicron.

"Our glorious battle", The Fallen told them, "back then when I and my master fought together and destroyed entire worlds."

Next they saw a sun exploding and wiping out everything that existed in the system.

Then they saw an ancient Cybertron in ruins.

Of all that they only saw small glimpses, before it came to later periods, a few scenes from the Quintesson rule and the rebellion.

xxx

Outside, as the pyramid had reached enough distance from the Moon, energy began to spread through it´s entire form. A new energy sphere was formed, one that surrounded the entire construction.

And a moment later the pyramid was gone from this universe.

xxx

The four Transformers inside began to reorient themselves.

They knew the pyramid had traveled, there was no doubt about it in their minds, the only question was, to where?

"Where are we?" Optimus asked.

The screen showed now another view on an cybertronian landscape.

"You will remember this time", The Fallen said. "It is a significant era in your history, 9.000.000 years ago, at the start of what you call the Great War, shortly before the battle of Kalis.

I am sure you remember Optimus."

Yes, he remembered this time, Megatron´s attempt to reconfigure Cybertron into a giant space-dreadnought that ended with the planet being thrown out of it´s orbit, his first meetings with "Cronus" and Galvatron.

They were back where it all had started.


	21. apocalypse

**Note-Timelines: Explanation to the different timelines in the story time-circle.**

**Timeline 1:**

This is the normal cartoon reality, up to the final of season 3. The chapters 1 to 14 play completely in this time-line, in four different periods, the year 2011, 1986, 2005 and 9 million years in the past.

After Hotrod returned from the year 1986 Megatron had still the smaller time-machine and the designs for the larger one that Hotrod accidentally left in the past.

Megatron made the decision to use the designs to build the pyramid. This led to the creation of timeline 1 itself and timeline 2.

**Timeline 2: **

There was only a small glimpse shown of this worlds in the end of chapter 15. Not much is shown except that Galvatron had at one point conquered Cybertron and killed Rodimus Prime.

In this timeline Megatron agreed to an alliance with Unicron before being transformed into Galvatron instead of just being pressed into service by him.

The Decepticons had never succeeded in completely taking Cybertron by themselves, mainly because of the resources and time that were used for the secret creation of the pyramid.

They are however able to do this with Unicron´s help.

Despite this Galvatron seemed to realize at some point how dangerous his "ally" truly was and travels back into the year 1986 to "prepare" the Transformers for his arrival.

**Timeline 3: **

This timeline is a result of the alternate Galvatron´s travel into the past from timeline 2. The chapters 17 to 20 play in this reality.

**Timeline 4: **

Two versions of Cyclonus and Scourge who are completely under Unicron´t influence travel from timeline 3 into the past for their masters end.

This would again change reality.

* * *

**Chapter 21**

_Space close to Cybertron, 9.000.000 years ago_

The strange group of Optimus, Rodimus and Skywarp was standing in the center of the pyramid

Here they were confronted with the ancient fallen Prime.

"Why here, why this time?" Optimus asked him.

"A interesting question. There were actually a few periods that came into choice. I thought about going back to the great battle of the Original 13", he replied.

"But then I would have also risked to bring my lost brothers back into existence. That is not something I want to let happen, not after I went through such lengths to kill them in the first place.

This date however is ideal. The technology in this era is mega-vorn behind yours or my original one, a civil war has just started and the planet is in chaos, barely any resistance.

You see without Megatron´s attempt to make Cybertron mobile my master would have found this planet again millions of years earlier. That was of course the true reason I had set you up to stop him."

Optimus felt silent anger at this statement. He and his two partners were ready to fight, but their enemy made no threatening move so far.

"But then the blunder of your troops had led to Cybertron being thrown out of it´s orbit", The Fallen continued.

"To be honest, had it not been for Galvatron´s presence I would have interfered personally to stop Megatron´s project and shown my true self. But not even I could have hoped to defeat this three at the same time.

Now however it is different. There are currently two of me in existence. My counterpart is in this moment hiding under your army as `Cronus´. One of me will occupy Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge while the other destroys Megatron´s planetary engines. Then my master will find Cybertron soon enough and this world will perish."

"Why are you doing this? You are a cybertronian like us, you are a creation of Primus."

"Oh Optimus, my young friend, a very long time ago I realized one thing, something that my sentimental creator was not willing to see. This universe as it is, is not worth saving.

It is flawed, full of mistakes. It´s creatures are weak, in mind even more than in body, foolish, ignorant, completely unable to see beyond their own horizon, even if their life depended on it.

They need to be destroyed and replaced with new and better creations. Destruction Optimus is the true driving force of the universe, it alone brings improvement."

"Are you finished holding speeches?" Rodimus asked him. "I think we have heard enough of your twisted philosophy."

"I completely agree Autobot", Skywarp said. "It is time to let the guns talk."

"Your two new friends really have spirit", The Fallen answered. "But make no mistake, the universe will be destroyed and here we will finally start."

"No, it won´t, we will stop you", Optimus told him.

The Fallen however, once again, was not looking impressed.

"A battle-weakened Prime, a Decepticon seeker in the same state and a second Prime who won´t be there much longer against me? You have no chance."

"You underestimate us", Rodimus answered.

"We will see."

Both sides began to attack. The two Primes and the seeker were trying to combine their fire on their stronger opponent while he was targeting one of them at a time.

_xxxxxxx_

_Cybertron: sector Kalis, at the same time_

Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge were roaming on the top of one of the skyscrapers of Kalis city.

They, the group that had traveled from the original year 2005, were spending their time here and waiting.

It was only a few hours ago that they, however reluctantly, helped to create the Autobot Ultra Magnus. And now they were going to be present at the coming battle that would happen in two days.

Galvatron was standing at the edge of the building, leaning with his back to the side-wall, his particle cannon lying next to him.

Cyclonus was standing in another corner in a similar position and Scourge was walking up and down aside their positions.

"And we have just to sit around here and do nothing for the next two days?" The Sweep leader asked annoyed.

"Yes Scourge", Galvatron replied, "that is exactly what I expect. I want to avoid something like the last time happen again **and** I want to make sure that nothing else interferes. So we will wait **here**. Do you have a problem with that?" he asked now more threatening.

"No mighty Galvatron, of course not." Scourge replied, backing off a few steps.

"Good."

"I for my part have enough", Cyclonus pointed out. "I only want to make sure that everything happens the way it was meant to and then get back to our own time."

"I can imagine", Scourge commented, but suddenly he froze.

"Scourge?" Cyclonus asked.

"I am receiving signals. My sensors are detecting something, a object that has appeared at the edge of the star system. Galvatron, by what I am reading it´s energy output is equal to that of an entire planet."

"He is right." Cyclonus checked his own systems and confirmed Scourge´s findings. "I guess this certainly counts as an interference", he said sarcastically.

"Find out more about this object", Galvatron ordered.

The Sweep began to levitate into the air and and quickly flew upwards until he had reached the orbit.

Scourge was equipped with the highest developed sensors in the known universe. He could literally see people walking around on another planet.

Now he was scanning the outer regions of the star system. After less than a minute he had found what he was looking for. But what he saw made the energon freeze in his fuel-lines.

He was slowly gliding back to the ground.

"What have you found?" his leader asked him as he had returned.

"Galvatron, you, you won´t believe this", he said, not quite sure how to continue.

"Try me."

"It, it is the pyramid, the large model that designs we have found inside the smaller time machine 19 years ago. Someone had actually built it and it had just materialized at the border of this system."

Even Galvatron was actually in shock after hearing this.

"That is impossible, I have destroyed it."

"But that doesn´t change that it had just appeared out there", Scourge told him.

xxxxxxx

_The pyramid_

The three fighters were holding themselves against the fallen Prime better when they had ever expected.

They were keeping their distance and their fire was causing minor but noticeable damage to the super Transformer.

During the struggle however Optimus was realizing something. The Fallen had not used the powers they had seen from him before.

"Skywarp was right", he said. "You can not use your special abilities here."

"Maybe, but that doesn´t mean I can´t defeat somebody like you."

As he said this he was caught by a shot in the side from Rodimus.

"We are not so far behind you in power as you like to think", Optimus told him. "We can beat you."

But a few moments later Rodimus suddenly dropped his aim.

"Optimus", he said shaking, "something is happening to me."

Their opponent was now actually laughing.

"So you can beat me, really?" he asked sadistically.

They saw Rodimus form crumbling and shrinking before their eyes until he was again like he had been before.

"Hotrod", Optimus called out. "What…?"

"It was the Matrix that gave your young friend his new form", The Fallen stated, "the life-force of Primus himself. Now that we have all traveled into this period however there are two of them, the other being carried by your counterpart on Cybertron.

But I fear there is only one Primus in existence, only containing a single Matrix and so the one **you** are carrying is becoming nothing more than an empty husk."

"No."

"He had planned this", Hotrod said, "he knew this would happen, that's why he was reluctant to attack, he was waiting for this."

"You are very smart Rodimus", The Fallen said while he took aim and blasted the distracted Optimus.

The Autobot leader was thrown down with a burning wound in his side.

"It is over for you."

xxxxxxx

_The year 2011 – Original timeline, the pyramid in Cybertron´s orbit_

"Do we have a way to find out where Hotrod is?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"I fear we have a far greater problem", Perceptor replied.

"What do you mean?" Optimus wanted to know.

"This machine is active. If I read this instruments correctly and I am sure I do we have massive chronological disturbances outside. I have tried to contact both Skylinx and Autobot headquarters."

"And?"

"Nothing, I can not reach anybody, in fact I can not receive anything from outside this structure."

The Autobot scientist walked to one of the consoles close to them and began to read the displays.

"What is going on here?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"By what I am reading the space outside of this structure is in constant temporal flow. I fear Cybertron is not longer out there", Perceptor said with visible horror in his voice, "in fact, nothing is."

"The past", Optimus said, "something has happened in the past."

"Hotrod you mean?"

"What else, he has still not returned. Something must have gone wrong, horrible wrong, wherever he is."

"You have no idea?"

"I know that Hotrod was sent to the year 1986 and I remembered that he disappeared through the time machine a few days later.

Then, I had hoped he had just been returned to his own time, until now. But that was obviously not the case. Instead something had happened that disturbed the timeline."

"Really", Magnus meant sarcastically, "and you only just figured that out? By what Perceptor is telling us time and space are just falling apart."

"I may have been a bit too optimistic", the Autobot leader admitted.

Beside them, as if following their requests, the screen came to life. The scene that it showed was like a picture of Optimus worst fears.

xxx

He saw Hotrod together with another version of himself and surprisingly the Decepticon Skywarp fighting the dark figure that as they knew by now was The Fallen, one of the Original 13, the legendary Prime who turned on Primus in favor of his enemy, a herald of Unicron and Elita´s murderer, a being who would eradicate the entire universe.

The Fallen, by what that they saw had just shot Optimus double and had now the upper hand in the fight.

He attacked aggressively and held the two smaller robots at the defensive. They were completely outmatched.

Skywarp laid another volley of blasts on their opponent while Hotrod came from another side. But in the small room even the speed of the seeker was limited and he was caught by one of the shot from their foe.

The Fallen aimed his weapon, pointing it at Skywarp and fired.

His cockpit was shattered and he was smashed hard against the wall behind him.

"Only you left", the ancient Prime said to the young Autobot.

xxx

"Is this our Hotrod or just some scene from another time period?" Ultra Magnus asked the rhetoric question, completely aware that nobody could tell.

"Does that makes a difference?" Optimus pointed out. "This fight takes place here, inside this room. If **he** gets his hands on the pyramid it would be the end."

"We have to do something", Magnus said.

"Can you send us to that time period?" Optimus asked, looking at Perceptor who had by now mostly succeeded in learning the instruments of the time-machine.

xxx

Hotrod was now seriously damaged, struggling to stay on his legs.

"You have the honor to be the first to die to the coming inferno", The Fallen exclaimed. "The death of this universe begins here."

Behind him the alternate Optimus came back to his feet. It was clear that he wasn´t done yet. He shot at his opponent and threw himself at him in an desperate attempt.

But the wounded Prime had no real chance. The Fallen easily winded himself out of his grip and then struck him down with his battle-staff.

xxx

"No", they could hear Hotrod shout who was once again forced to watch as Optimus fell before his eyes.

"I think it will work", Perceptor said, "but there is no guaranty."

"That changes nothing", Optimus replied. "We have to try this."

He and Ultra Magnus stepped into the middle of the hall.

"Good luck", Perceptor told them before he activated the transporter.

The blue energy sphere built up around the two Autobots and they were gone.

xxxxxxx

_The pyramid, 9.000.000 years in the past_

Hotrod was now lying on his knees. Things had been turning worse so quickly.

They had the advantage but now it was all lost, they all have walked directly into a trap.

The Fallen was standing above him. He could see the damage they had inflicted on their enemy. It was more than even his powerful regeneration could take. His armor was melted and torn up in several places, but his functions were still completely intact. It was not enough.

"This is the end for you my young opponent", he said. "I admit you fought very well, even with your now limited power." He raised his weapon.

"And once again a Prime falls to my hand, farewell `brother´."

As he prepared to deal the killing blow the energy sphere appeared close to them and in the next moment another Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus stood in the room.

In his surprise even the fallen Prime hesitated for a small moment.

At the point upon their arrival Ultra Magnus had already activated and now fired his missile launcher that was mounted on his shoulder.

The projectile hit their enemy square and he was thrown backwards, with his weakened armor not longer able to withstand it caused heavy damage.

Optimus at the same time charged while firing his gun, one blast hit and pierced The Fallen´s left shoulder, before he slammed his fists into him. Ultra Magnus joined the attack a few seconds later.

Damaged and worn out from the last fight even one of the Original 13 couldn´t stand against this.

Another punch from Optimus slammed the ancient Prime to the floor of the central hall.

"Excuse me", Ultra Magnus asked, looking at Hotrod, "are you the one we have lost in the year 2011?"

"Magnus, it is really you."

"Yes, it is good to see you again."

Optimus saw his counterpart lying a few meters from them. His wounded other self was moving.

"You", he heard his own voice say, "you are me from the other world?"

"I am", Optimus answered, despite not knowing everything.

He saw the extent of the injuries. It reminded him all too much of his "death" a few years back. He knew that his double had not longer much time.

"Finish what we have started here", the alternate Optimus Prime said, "this machine, it needs to be destroyed."

"We will", he assured him.

The eyes of his counterpart darkened, his head sank back. They all watched silently as Optimus Prime died.

"Goodbye Optimus", Hotrod said, feeling strangely since the Prime he knew was standing right next to him, before he turned around.

On the other side of the room Skywarp was standing back up and slowly limping in their direction.

Both Optimus and Ultra Magnus had pointed their guns at their enemy, but The Fallen didn´t seem able to get up.

"Does that mean we have won?" Hotrod voiced the words they were all thinking.

Moments later his question was answered by a laughing that haled through the room.

Behind them something materialized, something that looked like a black cloud in the air, a formless formation of energy.

It was a being without solid mass, but in some sense nevertheless alive, one that they had all seen before.

"You", Optimus said.

"Yes, I am glad to see you Optimus, much more than you can imagine", the creature named Cabal told him, despite that he had no physical body the triumph and taunt were practically radiating from it.

"So it is true, you are involved in this."

"I am responsible for it", he replied. "It was me who created the designs for the time-travel device based on the technology of a advanced species.

I was there, standing before the tribune in Iacon Optimus, in the year 2011 when the pyramid appeared, in a burrowed body, a drone built to temporally hold my consciousness, only a faceless robot under the mass.

Despite what you thought it was me who was controlling this machine the entire time. I sent Hotrod and myself into the year you call 1986 to let the designs of this device fall into Megatron´s hands and then I manipulated him into building it in the first place.

The Megatron you know may have been able to resist my influence but the one from the other timeline, his mental defenses had been weakened by losses and defeat, so he fell under my control.

I used him to cause death and destruction to feast myself and to create the very thing you are standing in, all that for a single goal."

"Why?" Optimus asked with a single word.

"On the planet you had found me a group of beings had ripped a hole into your dimension and mine, opening a gate for me. But it closed too early, cutting me off from the rest of my essence and my source of power, leaving me stranded in this universe. There where you have left me behind."

"Who, what are you really?" Ultra Magnus asked him.

"What? darkness, destruction, chaos, death, pain, I am my universe and it is me. You can call the place where I come from what you like, the realm of chaos, the world of death, tartarus, hell.

I was left behind, but I learned. I learned to use the means of your own universe to bring it´s downfall."

"What do you mean with that?" Hotrod wanted to know.

"You have seen how this machine works. With every new use, with every interference into your history your reality changes, again and again in an endless circle and with that the integrity of your universe itself is wearing down, soon the walls of your reality will be so weakened that they will be crashing down."

"We will prevent this", Optimus said sternly.

"Prevent it? You have caused it. Why do you think I have shown you what was happening? It was your last travel, the one that brought you here, that damaged your timeline so far that it was ready for me.

Soon I will open another gate. But I will not simply return to my world, I will bring my world here. Thanks to the temporal damage I will rip down the barrier between our dimensions and your universe will perish, consumed by me."

"No, we won´t let that happen, we will do everything to stop you."

"You can´t, not this time. You don´t have the Matrix, you can not do anything."

Beside them the fallen Prime was trying to get back to his feet.

Defeat, he thought, after all this millions of years, since the other ancients vanished.

"Fallen, Megatronus Prime", he heard the creature before them speak, surprised to hear his old name after so long. "Maybe you would consider an alliance. I have watched you. We both have similar goals.

And besides, it doesn´t look as if you have much of a choice."

The ancient Cybertronian looked at his own destroyed state. Any regular Transformer, even a Prime, would be long dead.

And he had heard about this being too, the reports had been impressive.

"You are a loyal herald of Unicron, but you are aware that you and your master have ultimately not the same goal. The Chaos Bringer wants to wipe out the universe so that he can exist in a endless nothingness, you want to reform the universe itself by destruction.

You want the eternal circle of entropy, he wants the void.

And deep down you know that some day, in the end, he will also kill **you**."

The Fallen had to admit the creature was right. He had thought about this often in the past. The Chaos Bringer would spare nobody, not even his own heralds. What he wanted was a lifeless existence, so it was clear where it would ultimately end.

"But with me you can become his equal. Together we can shatter this dimension and form it anew in our image or you can perish with the others here."

There was never a choice, what his answer would be was clear from the beginning.

"I accept your terms, yes I accept."

The dark cloud lowered unto his form until it completely surrounded him.

"You have made a wise decision", it´s voice said.

The energy seemed to be flowing into his body, wounds were disappearing in seconds, even far quicker than the Prime´s own abilities could have done it.

The Fallen was standing before them, completely repaired, looking nearly as before.

But his optics, instead of shining in their usual red, were now completely black

Around him had formed something that could only be described as a black aura.

"Yes, this is the beginning of the end, the end of your world and the beginning of mine", the creature said. "All life will I consume piece by piece. I will turn the universe to ashes again and again for all eternity."

He turned to them.

"And I will start with you."


	22. End of the circle

**Chapter 22**

In the center of the pyramid the gate to the other dimension was opening.

Like before, a sphere of energy formed in the heart of the giant time-machine, but this one was different than any before.

Instead of shining in the light electric blue, it was deep black, having more the appearance of a singularity than an usual transport window.

But that wasn´t all, unlike any before, it´s event horizon began to widen, it literally seemed to be leashing out at the space around it and in some weird way, to expand.

It was only a few seconds ago that the being that consisted of the ancient Prime called The Fallen and the formless energy creature, often being simply called "Cabal", had activated the machine again.

And it opened a door that would normally not have been possible.

Thanks to the same machine they were standing in the consistence of time and space was damaged, maybe beyond repair.

And in this it was making a way for what was waiting outside of this universe.

The three Autobots and one Decepticon were starring silently at that was unfolding before their eyes.

"The gate into my world is open", Cabal/The Fallen announced.

Black tentacles, made of something that was not quite matter or energy, something that was not from this universe and beyond any description, were growing out of the anomaly and were slowly filling the room.

The black slings were surrounding his body. It looked as if they were forming a twisted sort of halo around him. The implications of what they were seeing was clear, this being was the center of the chaos that had just entered this world.

"My essence is finally uniting again, spreading into this reality", the monster that was an ancient fallen Prime and a being from beyond time and space told them.

"What is happening here will soon continue everywhere in this universe, the effect will spread over your reality thousands times quicker than the speed of light.

The last gate was not open for long enough. Only a small part of my essence was able to make it through and became the individual you came to know under that name of `Cabal´.

Now this being don´t longer exist anymore. I am whole again. I have even gotten something new."

The voice changed, hinting at another presence in control of the merged entity now.

"A long time ago my creator Primus named me a guardian of entropy in the universe. Later however I discovered that his opponent Unicron in a sense embodied everything I wanted and stood for, he was far more fitting to be my master.

But deep down I always knew that, while I had always been loyal to Unicron, there will be a time when he would toss me aside. He can not accept any living being except himself, that is his nature. I have always known that my own plans for the universe would cause him to eliminate me too sooner or later.

Now things have changed. I will be able to face him as an equal. If he wants to confront me now he shall come. It would be the perfect test for both of us", he claimed.

"And now you will die", the united creature said.

He made a simple gesture with his hand and at the same time Optimus and Hotrod were caught by an invisible telekinetical force and were thrown hard against the wall.

"Are you ok?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"I have seen better days", Hotrod replied. "By the way, I am moved that you two came for me, even if it was only to watch the entire universe being destroyed."

"Your welcome Rodimus", he said.

Skywarp who had already been damaged during the fight was caught by one of the black slings. The bizarre thing was entangling itself around his body and started to crushing his limbs. He was struggling to get himself free until Hotrod fired two shots at the tentacle what caused it to let go of the seeker.

"Is there a chance for us to stop him?" Ultra Magnus asked with visible worry.

"Without the Matrix", Optimus admitted reluctantly, "I don´t see a way."

"What you see here will happen all over the universe", the creature told them.

They saw how the black slings continued to spread over the room. While this happened the form of the ancient Prime was irradiating the same dark energy like the gate and the tentacles.

"He is using The Fallen´s body as a focal point to concentrate his energy in our universe", Ultra Magnus said.

"How do you know that?" Hotrod asked him.

"Hey, I have been working with Perceptor for years, remember?"

It was an empty attempt of humor in the face of the ultimate doom.

"That means despite all the power that he has behind him he still has a physical form, something that can we attack", Optimus reminded them, "at least I hope so", he said more quietly.

"Ah Optimus, always so eager to hold on to the last bits of hope, even if it is pointless", the being said.

Moments later they were once again caught in the telekinetic grip and this time they were frozen in their places.

Optimus Prime, Hotrod, Ultra Magnus and Skywarp were hanging helplessly in the air.

"This is the end for you my old friends", the creature said. "When I am finished with you, your beloved home-planet Cybertron will be next to fall to the chaos, but you will not longer be there to see it."

Then they felt a strange pull on their bodies. It was nothing physical, more on the molecular level, but something that their sensors were able to detect. They knew then that their energy was literally being drained out of them.

Suddenly a blast hit The Fallen, coming from an unknown source.

"What?" he exclaimed in surprise.

The force that was holding Optimus and the others weakened for a moment and they were able to move a few centimeters, but it was not long until the merged being caught itself again.

At the other end of the hall were standing the last people Optimus had expected to see here, Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge.

All three of them opened fire as they were quickly coming closer, forcing the creature backwards.

"You", he called out as he saw his three new opponents.

"We have been listening for the last few minutes, waiting for the right moment", Galvatron declared. "Funny, The Fallen and Cabal, the chance to get even with both of you for the price of one."

"I will destroy you", the creature screamed.

Optimus Prime, Hotrod and Ultra Magnus were now struggling with the force that was still holding them.

"Without the Matrix", Optimus said quietly.

_"The Matrix is merely a symbol." He heard a voice in his head. It was the same that had spoken to him 25 years earlier when he was first confronted with The Fallen. He knew it was the voice of Primus._

_"It is the life energy and sum of the existence of all Cybertronians in history", it said. "You, a Prime, can use this energy, even if the symbol is not directly with you._"

He turned to Hotrod and he knew instantly that the younger Prime had heard the voice too.

Before them the creature that The Fallen had become was still put in the defensive by his three opponents. Under normal circumstances not even Megatronus Prime would have the slightest chance against Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge at the same time, but since his merging with the super intelligence of the other universe his power had grown beyond imagination.

Despite that the three Unicronians were holding themselves quite well.

Optimus was trying to look into himself, concentrating on the place where the now empty shell of the Matrix he was carrying was placed, all it´s remaining power released during the curing of the hate plaque.

But after a few more moments he still found a spark of this energy. He let it flow into himself and after a short struggle he was able to break the telekinetic hold.

Next to him he saw that Hotrod had been able to do the same thing.

"What?", the creature exclaimed as he saw that the Autobots had managed to free themselves.

But before he could do anything he was hit by the fire of the two Primes who joined the Decepticons in their attack.

"Magnus, you said he is the focal point in our world?" Optimus asked him.

"Yes."

"Then let us see what happens when we remove him."

They charged at their enemy and began to push him backwards, in the direction of the gate he himself had opened a few minutes earlier. While the two Autobots were fighting from a close distance the fallen Prime was hit by laser blasts from Hotrod, Galvatron and Cyclonus that forced him even more in the defensive.

"Even if you destroy this body", the creature said, "you won´t stop what is happening now."

"I have only one thing to say to you", Optimus replied, "this is for Elita."

With this words he threw The Fallen over the event horizon of the warp sphere. With a last angry scream, the ancient Transformer was removed from this universe and with him a great part of the foreign presence.

"Magnus", Optimus shouted, "deactivate the machine, now."

As the Autobot pushed the button the black sphere collapsed into itself with a terrible noise that seemed to reflect the anger of the invading entity as it was forced back.

The tentacles and the remaining energy around them began to dissipate.

They all were looking at the place where their opponent had just vanished, along with the dark energy sphere.

"The legend says that The Fallen was banished to a void between the worlds by one of the Primes million years ago", Ultra Magnus recounted. "But it never said which one of the them it had been."

"You mean it might have been Optimus all along?" Hotrod asked him.

"Who knows."

They were now facing the three Decepticons.

"Galvatron", Optimus greeted him.

"I see you know my name now, but I shouldn´t be too surprised. I don´t know which timeline you come from but you are clearly not the Optimus Prime of this era."

"No, I am not", he replied. "How have you found this place?"

"Scourge has the most advanced sensors in the universe, a giant object appearing over Cybertron is something he could hardly miss. Seeing the finished pyramid just appearing in this time-period was more than just a surprise, meeting The Fallen and Cabal here even more.

And seeing a group consisting of Autobots and one Decepticon fighting against them was also not exactly a usual thing."

He was looking at Skywarp. The seeker was a wreck, his cockpit and wings were crushed and he was leaking energon from several wounds.

"We actually happened to be in this time-period on a mission that involves your friend Ultra Magnus here", the Decepticon leader continued.

"But it seems you already knew this right?" Cyclonus pointed out.

"Yes, we remember our first meeting", Magnus said. "Why did you help us?"

"Don´t misunderstand Autobot", Galvatron told him. "You are my enemy and the next time we meet I will kill you and that with pleasure, but given who you were fighting against the choice was easy."

"Of course", Optimus replied.

"I guess from here on you Autobots can take care of things by your own?" he asked. "I expect you to destroy this thing once and for all."

"We will", Hotrod told him, "believe me, we will deal with this."

"Good, then we will go now. We have a battle to watch over", Galvatron informed them. "You know what you have to do right?" he said, looking at Optimus and with a side-glance to Skywarp.

The Autobot leader nodded.

With this the three Decepticons turned around and walked out of the room.

"Galvatron, this seeker", Cyclonus asked him, "do you think this is…?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I think."

"So you think this", Scourge said, "is **him**?"

The Autobots didn´t hear anything of the last short conversation of their enemies. They were discussing what to do.

"It is over? Have we stopped it?" Ultra Magnus asked

"The entity invading our world yes, the temporal chaos that was caused, I fear not", Optimus answered.

"So what now?" he wanted to know. "Our timeline had been erased, our reality is gone."

"The reality is rewriting itself again and again", Hotrod said. "Time-travel is following after time-travel in an eternal circle. We have to stop it."

"How?"

"I think I can set everything right when I return to the year 1986, at least I hope so. I have to keep Megatron from building the pyramid in the first place."

"That may be a chance but it could be difficult and even if you succeed you would still be trapped in the wrong time period", Ultra Magnus reminded him.

"Wait", they heard a voice calling out, "I should go", Skywarp told them.

"You?", Hotrod asked him in surprise.

"Think about it, with me there is an actual chance that Megatron might listen to me. I can convince him to stop this."

"I agree with Skywarp", Optimus said, "and Magnus is also right, you would be in the wrong time and we should not risk any more transports if it is not absolutely necessary and what he say is true, he can convince Megatron."

"In your shape there is a good chance that you will not make it", Hotrod reminded Skywarp.

"Believe me, if I could prevent my future from happening I would gladly die and besides, my past self would still live so whats the point. To be honest I don´t think that I will make it anyway, but so I can at least stop all this from happening."

"Good, then it is decided. I know you can do it", Optimus told him. "We prepare the device one last time, first we send Skywarp and right afterwards we transfer the entire construct to our time and then we will destroy this machine."

"You should better succeed", Hotrod said to the seeker, "Primus knows where we will land otherwise."

xxxxxxx

_Earth, the year 1986_

In the hours since the time-traveler Hotrod disappeared a lot had happened.

Megatron and his warriors had retreated to their base in the Rocky Mountains, but the Autobots had been following them in close pursuit.

Now they were assembled in front of the Decepticon base, standing in opposite to Megatron and his troops.

The Decepticon leader still had the time-machine that he had required from the displaced Autobot.

Now the warriors of both sides were just waiting for the fighting to start.

"Give me the machine Megatron", the Autobot leader said.

"You know perfectly well that I won´t do that Optimus."

"Then we will have to take it from you."

"Of course, I knew you would say that, you can try."

He got into a fighting stance, both sides had been aware that it would come to this.

Megatron would never give up the device willingly and the Autobots knew it was far to dangerous for them to leave it in his hands.

And so they were all ready to attack at any moment by the command of their leaders.

But before it came to this something other happened, unexpected.

Another energy sphere appeared in the center of the place, close to the two confronting groups.

Instantly they all thought for a moment that Hotrod had returned.

But to everyone´s surprise it was not the Autobot time-traveler who formed out of the blue energy but a obviously very damaged and mangled version of the seeker Skywarp and that while the regular one was still standing only a few meters away.

After a few moments to come to completely comprehend where he was the seeker caught himself. He remembered this scene, his other, younger self was also here after all.

"Megatron", he called out.

It took a few seconds before everyone overcame their shock. Even the leader of the Decepticons was starring at the newcomer in open surprise.

"Skywarp, …but", he stammered. After a moment he caught himself.

Secretly he was a bit embarrassed about this open show of surprise.

"The time-travel device", the dark colored seeker said, "the plan, you need to stop it."

"What?"

"If you build it, it will end in disaster. I know it, I was there", he said.

The figure they had identified as Skywarp broke down before them. Only now they saw the full extent of his damage. As it looked like it was a wonder that he was not in stasis-mode.

"Megatron", he heard Starscream yelling, "don´t listen to it. This is a trick, an imposter send by the Autobots."

He was standing between the two seekers, one his ambitious second in command and the other the warrior who had always proven to be loyal or maybe someone who happened to look like him.

"The pyramid", Skywarp said, "it will mean your end. I was there, I have seen it. I saw you die. And that is not everything, time itself will be destabilized, the ultimate disaster, stop it now before it even happens."

"Think about the possibilities", Starscream said. "Don´t let this story fool you. We can control time and space, don´t throw that away."

"How do I know if you are who you claim?" Megatron asked the black seeker.

"Megatron, do you remember how you had first recruited Thundercracker and me? You found us in the streets of Kaon. We had nothing, our creators had just build us to solve their purpose and then thrown us away", Skywarp told him.

"What about your own creator, the one who had you constructed you and only minutes later forced you to fight for you life? How many living beings know this? he asked.

Megatron hesitated. Nobody knew about this, nobody beside a few members of his closest circle.

"Please, if you ever trusted me, listen now", Skywarp said.

"The key to the universe is just in our hands", Starcream exclaimed, "use it."

Megatron activated his fusion cannon.

This was the point that marked the decision for the universe.

Optimus Prime was standing close by, ready to fight the Decepticon leader if he had to.

Megatron fired his weapon.

The time-travel device exploded into shrapnel and fire.

In the moment he saw what had happened the time traveler Skywarp broke down, overcome by his injuries.

"That,... that was right", he said before his optics were turning dark.

The present versions of Skywarp and Thundercracker were watching what was happening in horrid fascination.

A few seconds passed without anybody saying a word, only starring at Megatron or at the fallen seeker.

"No, what have you done?" Starscream finally shouted.

"The right choice", he replied.

"You fool, you have ruined everything. I swear this is the last mistake you have made as our leader."

"I don´t think so", Megatron said. "Decepticons stand down", he ordered.

As Starscream looked around he saw that all of their fighters followed the order without hesitation.

"You are all fools", he yelled.

Starscream transformed into his jet-mode and blasted off, leaving the members both sides behind.

"He will be back", Jazz commented.

"Yeah", Ironhide grunted in response.

Megatron was looking at Optimus now.

"I guess this was the reason you came here?" he asked the Autobot leader.

"It was."

"Then I think you have no longer reason to stay. I for myself don´t see a point in continuing this battle, don´t you think so too?"

"This one time you are right Megatron. What about him?" he asked, gesturing to the body of the time displaced version of Skywarp.

"Where ever he came from, he was a Decepticon warrior and he died as one. We will give him his last honor in our way."

Optimus had made up his mind. Something in him was hesitating to leave the remains of the time-traveler to Megatron, but he knew the worst he could find was a few information about a future that would hopefully never come to exist. He knew it was not worth starting another battle over.

There had been enough deaths at this day.

"Autobots", he gave the order, "we are returning to headquarter."

The Autobots were transforming into their car-, jet- or vehicle-modes and began to retreat from the Decepticon base.

Things had returned to normal and the history would play out.

xxxxxxx

_December 2011 (the real one)_

In the last days of the year 2011 a mysterious object appeared in an orbit over Cybertron.

"Are we back where we should be Optimus?" Ultra Magnus asked the question they were all thinking.

"According to the instruments we have nearly made it", he replied. "We are actually 25 Breem (3,45 hours) **before** we had left."

"The time the pyramid first had appeared", Magnus said. "Does things have returned to normal?"

"The broadcast and the energy readings are the same as before our time-travel."

As Optimus gave in a command the screen before them showed a picture from Cybertron´s surface. It was the Iacon plaza with the same tribune where they had been holding their celebratory speeches only a short time earlier.

"We **are** back", Ultra Magnus announced. "Skywarp had succeeded."

"Yes he did", Optimus said quietly.

"You knew", Magnus realized, "you knew that he would made it."

"I hoped, I remembered him and hoped that everything would play out as it happened in my memories."

"So that was the way the pyramid came to Cybertron", Hotrod pointed out, "we brought it here after Megatron had it build in the first place?"

"Obviously", Optimus stated.

"We should better leave now", Hotrod reminded them, "our past selves will arrive soon."

"Yes", Optimus said, "let us return to Cybertron."

"Maybe we could do anything to keep this entire disaster from happening in the first place", Ultra Magnus offered.

"That is too dangerous", Hotrod replied. "We don´t even know for sure if the reality like we know it would even exist without the influence of the pyramid."

"We have stopped both The Fallen and Cabal from destroying the universe", Optimus told them. "All what we could do now would risk erasing our victory from existence and return the threat of them."

"I guess you two are right", Magnus admitted. "Then we should go and watch when all of this will play out."

"You are right", Hotrod said, "let us go."

xxxxxxx

_A few hours later_

"Is everything ready Perceptor?" Optimus asked him.

Their other selves had just left to the past.

Optimus, Hotrod and Ultra Magnus were now standing along with Perceptor inside Skylinx shuttle mode, flying close to the floating pyramid.

The Autobot scientist was holding a remote control in his hand.

"Do you want the honor Rodimus?"

"Thank you Optimus", the younger Autobot replied. "Perceptor", he said, "do it."

As the scientist activated the remote the pyramid vanished.

They knew that it would reappear in the center of the closest star and there it would be reduced to ashes.

"Now it is over", Hotrod told them.

xxxxxxx

_Light-years away at the same time, on board of the flagship of the Decepticons_

"As you see Skorponok our new technology is as good as ready."

The Decepticon leader was just about to finish his communication with his newest sub-commander whose face was on the screen in his personal quarters.

"Indeed Galvatron, the last test runs were more than promising", Skorponok replied.

"I will inform you when the preparations are finished", Galvatron informed him before he ended the connection.

"It seems your plan is working out perfectly", Cyclonus who was standing next to his leader, said. "The last five years were going very well for our cause."

"Yes Cyclonus, this time was truly that we have needed to develop our new transwarp-engine, based on the time-travel technology we have seen 25 years ago.

I may have destroyed the device, for good reason by all we have seen later, but that didn´t mean that it wasn´t able to bring us to ideas. If everything goes as planned Cybertron will soon be ours again."

"Yes mighty Galvatron", Cyclonus said with a gleam in his eyes.

* * *

**End-note:** The action of this story is continued in the story "Transformers: Transwarp".

Wow, after over 4 years I have finally ended "Time Circle".

The planned attack on Cybertron that Galvatron and Cyclonus discuss in the last part is the one that will happen in the beginning of Transwarp.


	23. epilogue: alternates

**Epilogue: alternates**

_The year 2318, somewhere in space, 307 years later (in one possible future)_

The small group of Decepticons was still on board of the space-station run by their Autobot allies.

In this time the great war was long over.

They were here as part of the temporally alliance between their two factions.

Cybertron was in this age populated by their descendants, two races called Maximals and Predacons, while both Autobots and Decepticons had left into space a long time ago.

For over 300 years they lived in peace by now and the two Transformer races had for the most parts gone their separate ways.

But now the reappearance of two old enemies, The Fallen and the entity that was once known as Cabal, had brought them back together.

Because of this they were here on personal invitation from Optimus and Rodimus Prime.

This station was the base of a special team consisting of Autobots and humans who was overseeing the legal and illegal use of time-travel and transwarp-technology and was scouting alternate universes.

Cyclonus and Scourge were sitting in one of the rooms and were waiting for their search units to bring in the necessary information.

Currently they were reading in the archives of the station about the past activities of this group.

At the one side they wanted to get an better idea how their new (and old) partners were working, on the other they just wanted a way to occupy themselves.

xxx

_The principles of time-travel and the crossing to alternate universes are closely related. Both can be realized with the use of transwarp-technology._

_Another universe is in many cases only a different time-line whose history diverged from ours at a certain point in the past, separated from us through the hyperspace and the dimension of time._

_Some of this worlds have split from ours billions of years ago and don´t longer have any similarity with ours anymore, others just now in our time and are different in only a few details._

_Some of this worlds had been created naturally, other through the interference of a time-traveler, some are stable others are unstable side time-lines and collapse as soon as the cause of their existence is negated._

_Transwarp is based on the artificial creation of wormholes through particle-concentration. This made it possible to cause a rift in the time-space and to reach in theory every point in the multiverse._

xxx

Cyclonus had just red this interesting article from the Autobot scientist Brainstorm. It described very quickly and precise the idea of the transwarp-technology that they were all first introduced to by the mysterious pyramid in the Earth year 2011.

As he continued to look through the archives he also found another file that greatly interested him.

There were a number of alternate realities described, one where the Great War never happened,

one where the Autobots and Decepticons inside the Ark reactivated centuries earlier as the humans were still primitives,

another where Ultra Magnus was send to a mind-prison at the beginning of the war and not recovered until millions of years later when Optimus Prime was already in stasis on Earth.

There was also a world were Unicron had found Cybertron nearly 9.000.000 years earlier. While the Transformer of this universe managed to damage the physical body of the Chaos Bringer beyond repair, the greatest part of the population had been wiped out and their home-planet itself obliterated.

Ironically, this was probably a hidden blessing from Megatron´s failed attempt to turn Cybertron into a mobile fortress in their own reality or maybe as some thought, it had been Primus plan all along.

But what he found of the greatest personal interest was a universe where, like in his own, a very special time-traveler appeared in the year 1987 on Earth.

xxx

In this version of the story the second Skywarp survived his injuries and joined Megatron´s troops, however under a different name and with a altered body.

Thanks to him the Decepticons had access to limited knowledge about possible futures, but it turned out that the time-line was already too changed for this to be truly effective. But he had managed to give them a early warning about Unicron and 20 years to prepare.

What they didn´t count on was Starscream´s betrayal that played out pretty much the same way as in the world he knew.

Megatron was turned into Galvatron and his regular counterpart had taken his new identity as Cyclonus. In this reality however the Decepticon leader died in the battle against Unicron and his own other self had taken over in his place.

Instead of Galvatron it was Cyclonus who led the Decepticons against Rodimus Prime. The other Skywarp was still a member of his army and went from that point on once again under his real name.

xxx

It was a bizarre story from his point of view. But who can say what if?

He had seen himself die on that day back then, after giving Megatron his warning.

They had also located the world where **he** came from.

That time-line had collapsed after the destruction of the time-machine. It´s consistence was from the beginning only build up on the existence of the pyramid and it´s creation.

After reading about this reality Cyclonus understood the need of his other self to warn Megatron about the time-travel device and urged him to destroy it,

Cybertron wiped out by Unicron, both Autobots and Decepticons practically brought to extinction.

By what he had red the Megatron of this world had been under the mental influence of Cabal for years and had slowly been losing himself more and more.

He or rather Skywarp remembered all too well how this creature could twist someone´s senses from the time they had found him on a dead world millions of years ago.

This entire reality had ultimately been nothing but a tool for Cabal to realize his own terrible aims.

In his opinion it was a good thing that this world didn´t exist anymore.

"Cyclonus." He heard a voice that he knew all too well. "We have found them", Rodimus informed him.

As it looked their scouts had located their enemies, it was time to put an stop to them once again.

"Very good", he replied.

The end

* * *

This story had actually been over, but I have then decided to write this small epilogue to it.

In this last part of the story is for example a description how time- and dimension-travel works in my imagination.

This epilogue plays 300 years later, around the time of Beast Wars when the war is long over and the Autobots and Decepticons are not longer living on Cybertron. It is closely related to my story Mirror Images.


End file.
